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Vince Gillespie
Vince (left) with his sister Katherine Gillespie-Sells (right), 2016, with permission to use by Vince
Vince, Darryl Telles and friends at a Spurs Supporters Christmas meal (2017), from Darryl's personal photos with permission to use by him
Identity and coming out
Vincent (Vince) Gillespie was born in Northumberland, Tottenham, in 1948, and has lived in Tottenham his whole life. He identifies as a gay man and was the first openly gay Labour Party Councillor for Bruce Grove. His sister, Katherine Gillespie-Sells MBE, identifies as a lesbian. She founded REGARD, a national, volunteer-run organisation of disabled LGBT+ people.
Here Vince talks about how he realised he was gay and how his family reacted to his coming out
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Identity and coming out
Family
In the following extracts, Vince talks about his sister, Katherine, and her son (Vince's newphew), Dan Gillespie-Sells (openly gay singer/songwriter for The Feeling and composer of Everybody's Talking About Jamie). Katherine and Dan are pictured on the right at an anti-Clause 28 (anti-Section 28) demo in 1988. Their placard is against the use of Section 28's phrase 'pretended family relationships' to refer to LGBT+ families.
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Katherine and Dan at the anti-Clause 28 demonstration, in Lesbian and Gay Socialist (winter 1987), © Bob Cant Archive, Bishopsgate Institute Special Collections and Archives
Family
Activism and politics
Vince was heavily involved in LGBT+ activism in Haringey. He was the first openly gay Labour councillor in the borough and was involved in the Positive Images campaign, which he talks about in the following extracts
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After thousands of signatures were collected in support of the Positive Images campaign, there was an attempted attack on Vince. Bernie Grant, MP for Tottenham from 1987-2000 and the first MP to voice opposition to Section 28, arranged for him to stay with Bob Cant for a while after the attack. Bob was also a prominent Haringey LGBT+ activist.
At the beginning of this extract, Vince refers to his sister-in-law joining the PRG
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Here Vince talks about knowing Bernie Grant
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Front cover and first page of 'Lesbian & Gay Rights in Haringey' leaflet, c.1987-1991, © Bishopsgate Institute Special Collections and Archives
Activism and politics
Images
Katherine Gillespie-Sells after receiving her MBE for services to disabled LGBT+ people (2011), with permission to use by Katherine
'Haringey - Positive Images', Lesbian and Gay Socialist (Winter 1987). The attack on Vince is mentioned in the second column. © Bob Cant Archive, Bishopsgate Institute Special Collections and Archives
Football
Like Darryl Telles, Vince is a lifelong football fan and has been a Spurs fan since childhood. Here he talks about his memories of going to matches.
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Vince with Darryl, Fraser Connell (left) and friends at their traditional end of season meal (2019), photo taken by Darryl Telles with permission to use by him
Life in Haringey
Here Vince talks about life in Haringey and the clubs he went to in the borough in the 1970s-80s. He also talks about his friendship with his neighbour, Tony, and Tony's late partner.
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Vince with Darryl (back), Fraser (back) and friends (2016), from Darryl Telles' personal photos with permission to use by him
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Life in Haringey
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