I was recently given permission to review the call logs from Brighton Gay Switchboard (as it was called then), at our local history archive The Keep. It revealed the sequence of events that lead to the formation of a dedicated TV/TS (the terminology of the period) support group: Trans Sussex.
Switchboard began life as The Lavender Line in April 1975, formed by The Lavender People, a group mainly consisting of disillusioned Sussex Gay Liberation Front (GLF) activists. It became apparent very quickly how useful the switchboard was.
One of the benefits of having a single point for enquiries, was the ability of other groups to use that number rather than give out home phone numbers. Here we see a TV/TS group using Brighton switchboard as their contact point in February 1976.
My guess is that STSV stands for Sussex Trans Sexual / Vestite but I’m not 100% sure, so do let me know if you know!
No switchboard of their own
Thanks to a document donated to The Keep by Sussex GLF stalwart Doug Coupe, we have an assessment of how the switchboard was functioning in its first two years: April 1975 – June 1977. It includes the line:
“We also deal with calls from transexuals and transvestites, who have no switchboard of their own.”
It would take a few more years but change was on the horizon.
The call logs
We know there was demand for TV/TS support right from the early days of switchboard, and it was proving invaluable to allow people to safely contact each other. The call logs from the early 1980s record the level of demand, and the progress towards a dedicated support service.
A log on 24 May 1980 reads: More T/V calls again – will bring up at next meeting idea of arranging CHE TV evening one Monday.
Only a week or so later on 4 June we have another log showing the development in TV/TS provision: Important – see new card in TV/S section. Last Friday in every month will have a TV/S advisor here – please tell all TV/S callers.
On 17 October 1980 there is a lengthy log report about an issue with one particular caller, but the entry begins: Don (Trans Sussex) phoned. [formerly Southern Helpline]. So… either Southern Helpline rebranded as Trans Sussex, or Don used to be involved with Southern Helpline and was now part of Trans Sussex. More research needed.
Updates: see start date 1980 and background to Southern Help Line.
A log on 24 January 1981 shows the Trans Sussex service to be up and running: T/V wanting to meet others – referred to Trans Sussex Helpline.
And here we have an advert in Gay News in April 1982: TV/TS Trans SusSEX meet 1st Fri & 3rd Sat. Helpline tel B’ton (0273) 202086 or Peacehaven (07914) 6093.
More to come
There is obviously way more to this story than I have covered here, but this is what I currently know, and it felt important to record the early development of trans support in our region. I will add information onto the end of this piece as I find it out.
UPDATE OCTOBER 2025
Not exactly revolutionary, but I’ve found Trans SusSEX listed about six months earlier in Gay News issue 226, 15-28 October 1981. Just below the advert for the Sussex Lancers meeting at the 42 Club on the seafront.
UPDATE MARCH 2026
Start date: October 1980
Success! After further rummaging through the listings in Gay News (thank you once again to the Bishopsgate Institute), I’ve located the first appearance of Trans SusSEX. It corresponds completely with the log from 17 October 1980 (see above) and appears in Gay News issue 201: 16-29 October 1980. I know, maybe I should have looked there first. Doh!
UPDATE JUNE 2026
Background: Southern Help Line
I decided to take a different approach on my latest trip to the Bishopsgate, and checked out the Bulletins, from the Beamont Society (the longest-established transgender support group in the UK – since 1966).
I went straight for Sept/Oct 1980 and found this record of the establishment of Southern Help Line:
President: Julia Carter, Assistants: Teana, Vance, Don
Tel: Brighton 202086, 607038, Peacehaven 6093
As from the 26th of August a new organisation, called Southern Help Line, has been established with a view to providing a meeting place and telephone link for transvestites and transsexuals in Sussex and surrounding areas. They hoped to liaise with other groups.
At present they have no postal address but hope to rectify that as soon as possible. Until such time as a properly established Southern Help Line service is formed it is possible to make use of a telephone link on Gay Switchboard (690825) on the last Friday of every month.
Here we have Don listed as an assistant, and two of the three phone numbers have stayed with the renamed Trans Sussex. It would seem likely that the name was changed to make the nature of the service clearer. So the service, under its original name, now has a slightly earlier start date of August 1980.
