Tonight (Friday) sees the final episode of It’s a Sin broadcast on Channel 4. Written by Russell T Davies, the six-part series set in the 1990s, stars Olly Alexander (the son of former Visit Isle of Wight MD, David Thornton) as a young gay man leaving life on the Isle of Wight to study in London.
The impact of AIDS in the 1980s/90s
If you didn’t binge watch the entire season straight away and have been watching it weekly, we won’t give away the ending (tonight at 9pm on Channel 4), but for those who haven’t been following the series, it highlights life in the ’80s and early ’90s for those in the LGBTQ+ community and the impact of the AIDs crisis.
Karl Love, now an Isle of Wight councillor for East Cowes, came to the Island as a youth community support worker in HIV and AIDs prevention in the early 1990s, and features in several TV news items on BBC South today.
Sharing his experiences
Arriving on the Island with his partner in the 1990s, Karl explained that without a support network they were taking a big risk, but they fell in love with the Island and it all worked out.
Karl has recently been very open about his experiences and the work that he did in the 1990s and how accurate he found the TV series to be. You can read his responses to episode 2 and episode 5 on Facebook.
Love: Being gay on the Island was tougher than the mainland
Karl says,
“One needs to remember the Island was a bit behind what was happening in London and other parts of the country.
“The fear of individuals, families and communities from HIV or of being outed was very real.
“Being gay on the Island was tougher than the mainland. There was a lot of stigma, but a small team of dedicated, cutting-edge professionals from education and health led the way.”
He adds,
“To support people in my work I had to keep such secrets and I do carry so many memories that cannot be told. I cannot tell their stories, but they were people who were loved and cared for.”
Challenging work
As well as working directly with young people, Karl explained how he was also asked to work with families of those who had come out. He said,
“I remember trying to support a family whose son had gone to London and come out. An Island doctor called me in to try and help support the family. I did all I could to support them, because they were so fearful and angry at their loss, that is his coming out.
“I tried to explain some of the emotions, stress and fear of coming out. The older brother was so angry at me and other gays saying ‘we must have done something to his brother to turn him gay’. There was so little education then.
“I left their home with some relief, but hoping I had made a difference. I never saw or heard from them again and I never met their son, but often think of him hoping that it all worked out well. This was the background which many LGBTQ lived in at that time.”
Dealing with complex issues
Karl has nothing for praise for his fellow workers in the Island’s Sexual Health team. He says,
“We had an amazing Island Sexual Heath Service team. We were always pushing the boundaries to try reach out and bust the myths of human sexuality. However we were dealing with complex issues trying hard to reach an underground world. I will always be grateful for the support of Kay Marriot and her wonderful team, both past and present.”
Love: HIV is real and still exists
Karl continued,
“I still say to you all, keep safe and don’t take sexual health risks. HIV is real and still exists. If you are concerned about your sexual health, we have a wonderful sexual health service at St Mary’s who can support you. The team there has been joined by Anna Murray and you couldn’t want to meet a nice caring person. She will be there for you if you need her support.”
Watch
You can catch-up with the BBC feature today on iPlayer (jump to 5.30 mins in). The final of It’s a Sin can be watched on Channel 4 at 9pm tonight (Friday).
