QX ventured merrily over to West London to meet Oliver Gilbody at the West London Gay Men’s Project and their sterling community work around your sexual health.
What is the West London Gay Men’s Project?
WLGMP is a not-for-profit organisation working with gay, bisexual and men who have sex with men around their sexual health choices and overall wellbeing. As the Project has grown, so has our client base, and we now also work with trans* and Black African communities.
What have been some of your biggest successes to date?
Our ‘24s’ condoms and lube service continues to go from strength to strength, and we now have over 6,000 men signed up to the service. This means they can collect a free bag of 24 condoms and a 250ml bottle of lube from our team at any of the venues we are working in. Our iPhone Life Check offers men a chance to chat to our Health Trainers confidentially about sex, relationships and other health issues, and over 4,000 guys have taken a Life Check with us.
What do you hope to achieve in the future for the continuing good of the gay community?
To continue producing innovative services for the gay community and responding to what they want. The community in London is diverse and not one service fits all. We regularly consult our clients and adapt what we do accordingly, whether that be pitching up a tent and providing HIV testing in cruising areas, doing internet outreach offering support and advice in chat rooms, or running Wellness Days specifically for Black and Minority ethnic gay and bi men.
And finally, we have a mental health theme to this magazine, what do you personally think are the biggest challenges to gay men’s good mental health and wellbeing right now based on your experience within the WLGMP?
Challenging the inequalities in the messages that gay men receive during their sexual identity and relationship development is crucial (be that messages from their parents, school teachers, work colleagues or the media), as they can all contribute to a person’s mental wellbeing. Misusing drugs, or having risky sex can be symptoms of the negative messages gay men experience throughout their lifetime. Things are improving in the UK – equal marriage, for example I’m sure has already started to contribute in a positive way to how LGBT people are valued in society. Making Sex and Relationships Education in all schools compulsory, and include talking about LGBT sexual practices, would also have a positive impact on young LGBT people.
• For more information about WLGMP’s services go to: www.westlondongmp.org.uk or call 0800 587 8302 / 020 3322 6920.
