As Curo launches our new LGBTQ+ Resident Engagement Group, Paul Shearer, Empty Homes Lettings Negotiator (pictured above), talks about his experiences of homelessness and growing up gay.
I know what it's like to be homeless because I've lived through it myself. My dad, who was in the Army, wasn't around much. I'd known I was gay since I was five, always feeling a bit different from the others. One night, aged 16, I went out to a gay club in Swindon and returned home to a devastating discovery: my mum had passed away. In a panic, my sister and I called 999.
That was in June 1991. Going back to school was tough; I had to face a whole new set of challenges while completing my exams. They held a big assembly about my mum. I had always been bullied for being gay at school. The bullying stopped and I felt a shift in how I was treated. But it was strange and unnatural, and I didn't like it.
By Christmas that year, my dad had already moved on, finding another partner. On Christmas Day, my sister and I found ourselves alone in the house. When my dad returned, there was a big argument.
I was placed in a hostel for homeless kids. Then I moved into Pathways, Curo’s accommodation for homeless young people and got a job as a junior chef in Bath. I enjoyed living in Pathways, there was a sense of community. It didn’t matter that I was gay there. I even appeared in a Channel 4 documentary about homelessness - I remember watching it on TV with other residents.
But I was in a bad place emotionally. I turned to drugs and was getting out of my mind to forget everything. I moved to Weston Super Mare and my addiction spiraled out of control.
One day, I decided I’d had enough. I left for London with just one bag. I became an office manager at a Fleet Street publishing house and was very successful. It was a happy time. I met my partner and I’m proud to say that we’ve been together for 22 years.
But I’m a Bathonian at heart. I wanted to move back to the city and give something back to my community. I returned and I got a job with Curo at Dartmouth Avenue, our temporary accommodation for homeless people. I now work in the lettings department, supporting people to move into their homes.
Things have changed for LGBTQ+ people since I was younger, but the effects of those earlier days still linger for me. When I was growing up, being gay was a dirty secret. I still don’t have photos of my partner and I out on display. My partner and I never hold hands when we walk down the street. We don’t hug each other; we don’t show affection. There was a culture of shame. I grew up in the AIDS pandemic. People I knew were dying all the time. You’d have bouncers on the doors of gay clubs making sure we weren’t getting gay bashed on the way out. I’ve been hit, kicked and punched. The age of consent was 21 when I was growing up – it wasn’t lowered to 16 until 2001. It was a climate of disapproval.
I’m pleased that times have moved on for younger LGBTQ+ people. But the community still faces problems. In lettings, we've had to relocate people due to hate crimes based on their sexual orientation. Fortunately, the police take hate crime seriously and my team is on hand to offer advice and support.
Curo have signed up to the HouseProud Pledge, a scheme that all social housing providers can sign up to, to demonstrate their commitment to LGBTQ+ resident equality and support.
The home is so important to LGBTQ+ residents, because it should be a place where people can freely express their sexual orientation and/or gender identity without fear or prejudice. Sadly, despite recent changes in equality laws, LGBTQ+ residents continue to experience discrimination in their everyday lives, including in relation to their housing. For example, research from HouseProud found that 60% of the trans respondents did not feel that their neighbourhood was a safe place to live and one-in-five gay men reported modifying their home in some way – for example, moving pictures or books – to hide their sexual orientation from a visiting repairs operative or housing officer. That’s why Curo signing up to the pledge matters.
I’m part of the LGBTQ+ Colleague Group at Curo, which has been an important step in creating a workplace where people can feel safe. Now we want to set up a customer LGBTQ+ group to support customers and let them know that we are a welcoming and supportive. We want to get customers’ ideas about how we can improve how we do things. If you’re interested in joining the group, please email pride@curo-group.co.uk.
I hope that by telling my story, I can help people who’ve had similar experiences feel confident in getting in touch.
