26/08/2020
One of the stalwarts in the development of a strong, outspoken and independent gay media in the UK has passed on at the age of 69. Chris Graham-Bell trained as a Doctor, but was fascinated with the world of publishing. In the early nineteen seventies, there was no internet, and the main means of communication for many was the press – thousands of titles existed in a crowded marketplace. There was a vibrant alternative and underground press scene, with papers such as IT, Oz and Spare Rib amongst many others. The gay community had Gay News founded in June 1972, with also host of smaller regional little newsletters and magazines which were produced on small printing presses and often hand stapled. It was an adhoc cottage industry. In 1974, Mr Graham-Bell launched his own magazine, called Him Exclusive. Its focus was soft porn for gay and bisexual men but also featured community news, politics and information and quickly became a mainstay of the community. Graham-Bell's business also included a gay lifestyle store called Zipper in Camden, and a number of specialist soft porn magazines. Through the seventies, the business thrived, no thanks to the state and customs, who were busy trying to harass gay and trans businesses throughout this period with raids, seizures and vexatious objections to everything they did. In 1983, Gay News, which had never really recovered from a vicious court case brought against it by religious fanatics led by Mary Whitehouse, folded, but Mr Graham-Bell purchased the assets and saved the title by merging it with Him to form a new magazine called Gay Times. Indeed, to this day, the official title of Gay Times includes the byline “incorporating Gay News”. The new title was there throughout the social and political battles of the 1980's and although this era was difficult for LGBTQ people, it is arguable that gay and lesbian journalism was at its peak – with Gay Times offering arts, culture, news, media analysis and lengthy features each month. In 1994, the group launched DIVA, a glossy magazine aimed at British lesbians and bi women. Previously most of the quality lesbian magazines had been imported from the US and sold in radical bookstores and via mail order. As the millenium approached, Chris Graham-Bell's company, now called Millivres, merged with Prowler to form the largest gay media company in Europe. Although the internet was by now beginning to revolutionise gay life, with new sites such as Gaydar, Gay.com and others, there was a golden sunset for gay publishing in the UK, as Millivres kept afloat The Pink Paper as well as Gay Times and DIVA. It also owned gay and fetish shops including Expectations, and even published books for LGBTQ people. In 2013 Mr Graham-Bell was bought out and retired as Chairman following a management buyout, and eventually due to trading pressures the various business areas, including GAY TIMES Magazine, moved into new ownership. The Pink Paper had by then permanently ceased and people were increasingly interacting online with new gay news sources like Pink News and Gay Star News. Mr Graham-Bell was awarded many accolades over the years for his service to the LGBTQ community. These included chairpersonship of the Gay Business Association and the Bryan Kennedy Award. An intensely private man, he spent his retirement enjoying the arts and opera and passed away quietly in his sleep. That's the life of Chris Graham-Bell, businessperson and community media activist, who kept many of us informed and entertained with his publications for many years.
