• ONCE again, homophobia made headlines last week when Burnley striker Andre Gray was charged with misconduct after a homophobic tweet from four years ago was revealed.
  • Societies, broadly speaking, are becoming more accepting of LGBT communities, but the Weekly News wanted to know what it is really like to live here as a gay person.
  • Sean Axtell caught up with Garry Ormes, chairman of Chelmsford Pride, who told us stories of intimidation, self harm and suicide. 

Garry Ormes knew he was gay aged 14, but didn't tell his parents until he was 19 and had moved out of home.

"That way they couldn't throw me out," he says.

Garry's story is a common one in the LGBT community.

"Also, you hear people say it's just a phase, that we will grow out of it, so it's an incredibly confusing time for many of us - and very stressful."

He says fear of isolation casts a dark shadow over the minds of many young people before they come out.

But while many gay people are disowned, Garry's parents were accepting, and he found a new life among the LGBT community in London.

"I was one of the lucky ones.

"My mum cried for about a week, dad was OK, and I was at drama school where there were quite a few gay people, which really helped.

"Many aren't that lucky - I know people who were thrown out onto the streets and whose lives were ruined.

"Often people just don't know where to turn, and when you're depressed or anxious, you don't think clearly - substance abuse is fairly common too, unfortunately."

Members of the LGBT community are at higher risk of mental health difficulties according to charity Mind, with depression, anxiety and suicidal feelings affecting one in four.

This is largely down to facing discrimination, bullying and homophobia.

"One thing I see a lot of, sadly, is people who self harm," he says, "with cuts on their arm and so forth.

"They cut so they can bleed freely - there's something of an emblem in that.

"From my experience, this behaviour stems from years of torment, and trying to exist in a society that isn't accepting - but things are improving."

He praised mental health charities, drop-in-centres offering free counselling and the police for clamping down on hate crime - especially the British Transport Police.

But aged 42, Garry can still often find himself feeling unsafe, whether in London's Gay Village or on the streets of Chelmsford.

He says: "Quite often, when I used to manage a bar in Chelmsford, I would hear people shouting 'gay bar, gay bar' when they walked past.

"That did make you feel like a second-rate citizen, which is awful - we're just people like them.

"Also, when I have a partner I'm quite open with them when I am out - I like to put my arm around them or have a kiss, but I would do that with one eye over my shoulder."

He believes more still needs to be done to educate young people about where they can turn for support.

"I personally feel more can be done to educate people about homosexuality in schools," he says.

"I also believe Chelmsford needs an LGBT venue - not once a week, but more often so more people can attend.

"There are thousands of people in the community in Chelmsford, and having a place we could all go and socialise would do a lot of good."

* G Sundays, one Essex's most popular gay nights, has announced a change in venue.

After 12 years in Evoke, Market Road, it will return to Bar & Beyond in Moulsham Street this Sunday. Doors open at 10pm.