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50 years of NI gay befriending helpline

Amongst the noise of chaos that dominated the soundscape in Northern Ireland during the 1970s, peace for some could be found at the end of the telephone line.

The befriending and support service Cara-Friend was set up by volunteers in 1974 to help gay, lesbian and bisexual communities find connection within the conflict.

A Belfast theatre company is marking the 50th anniversary of the helpline with a UK and Ireland tour of an acclaimed play.

Callings, written by Dominic Montague, is a drama set in the Belfast offices of the helpline at a time when Northern Ireland was the only part of the UK where "homosexual acts between consenting adults" remained a criminal offence.

Read more here.

Video journalist: Jake Wood

3 October 2024

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