Quaker Rainbow reaches gold: Rob Francis reports

‘It was one of the first religious support groups in existence for lesbian and gay people.’

by Rob Francis 8th September 2023

September 7 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the formation of Friends Homosexual Fellowship (FHF), now known as ‘Quaker Rainbow: Friends LGBTQ+ Fellowship’.

It was the publication of Homosexuality From the Inside by David Blamires, and the reaction to it, which set the wheels in motion for a group for lesbian and gay Friends. The booklet was published by the Quaker Social Responsibility Council (QSRC), a central department of London (now Britain) Yearly Meeting. It garnered national press attention, and caused some pushback from Friends who did not agree with the beliefs it expressed, and who felt it should not have been endorsed by the church. There were letters in the Friend for months.

David Blamires himself wrote in the Friend about the many private letters he had received in response to the booklet. These gave him, and a small group of peers, the push to create Friends Homosexual Fellowship. A residential conference in Manchester in September 1973 saw over twenty Friends gather and form the group.

Following the first meeting, FHF continued to hold meetings, and a one-day conference: the first minuted meeting of FHF. In April 1974 QSRC held a residential weekend on the theme ‘Towards an understanding of human sexuality’. Monthly Meetings were invited to send representatives and FHF reserved around twenty places.

A FHF newsletter was published four times a year. Regional groups held meetings in members’ homes, and members were put in touch with those who lived nearby. As well as giving pastoral care, FHF was committed to the aims of the Society of Friends; many members were active in it at all levels. By 1982, membership had grown to 200 men and women; by 1984 the Fellowship had had contact with 400.

FHF was one of the first religious support groups in existence for lesbian and gay people. Since its inception, it has been through three name changes to reflect its broadening membership. In 1991 it became the Lesbian and Gay Fellowship. Then, in 2017, it switched to Quaker Gender and Sexual Diversity Community, to include bisexual and trans people. In 2022 Friends discerned a new, simpler name: Quaker Rainbow, with the strapline ‘Friends LGBTQ+ Fellowship’, to reflect who we are now.

In recent years we moved from a committee structure to having a clerking team, while retaining a treasurer and assistant treasurer. This works to help us to organise meetings and make decisions between community meetings, via quarterly clerks’ meetings, email and WhatsApp.

Since the pandemic we have held regular online bi-monthly open community meetings alternated with online Meetings for Worship. We have been working to set up a more formal Listening Friends group to provide pastoral support. We send out a monthly email newsletter and are in the process of commissioning a new website.

We warmly invite Friends of any sexual and gender minority to join us, along with those who consider themselves our allies.

Rob used information compiled by Lisa McQuillan from Friends House Library.

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