{"id":15374,"date":"2026-01-21T10:56:58","date_gmt":"2026-01-21T10:56:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/connected\/?p=15374"},"modified":"2026-01-29T08:42:19","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T08:42:19","slug":"breaking-the-mould","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/connected\/2026\/01\/21\/breaking-the-mould\/","title":{"rendered":"Breaking The Mould"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Martin Kaufman was an influential figure in Reading\u2019s gay liberation movement in the 1970s, and over 50 years later, he shares how he\u2019s working with the University to ensure that the bravery of those people \u2013 who stood up for the rights of all those who were stigmatised over their sexuality \u2013 is not forgotten.<\/span><\/p>\n

We are excited to announce that Martin will be our guest speaker at Reading\u2019s flagship LGBTQIA+ event, the Wolfenden Lecture, taking place on Thursday 26 February 2026<\/strong> in the Edith Morley Building on Whiteknights campus.<\/p>\n

Entitled \u2018Reading Coming Out\u2019, Martin will be talking about how he and others started up the gay and lesbian rights movement in Reading \u2013 including holding the very first public gay meetings and events.<\/p>\n

Find out more and book your tickets now<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Martin sat down with CONNECTED to talk about his transformational journey at Reading, and how he helped found the Reading Gay Alliance.<\/p>\n

Vivid memories<\/strong><\/h4>\n
\"Portrait
Photo credit: Anne Bean<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Martin came to Reading to study history of art at postgraduate level and was taught by the late Professor Kerry Downes OBE (who rediscovered Nicholas\u00a0Hawksmoor, one of the greatest\u00a0English Baroque architects). He was the first and only postgraduate student taking this subject at the time.<\/p>\n

He recalled: \u201cI have always been enthusiastic about history and architecture, and I learnt a fantastic amount whilst at Reading. The experience was absolutely marvellous. I have so many vivid memories of my time there because it was always so full of frenetic activity.<\/p>\n

\u201cMany of my favourite memories stem from my time living in Sibly Hall. Sadly, Sibly is no longer standing, but I loved it \u2013 there was a great community and the Friday night disco in the Students\u2019 Union was almost obligatory!<\/p>\n

\u201cA stand-out moment for me was taking part in the St David\u2019s Hall \u2018Carouse\u2019, which was the annual Christmas revue held at London Road. In my first year I did a cabaret in the Great Hall, and in my second year I performed as Widow Twankey from Aladdin, both in drag. In my third year I was part of the first public performance by The Moodies, a group of cabaret performers who later found fame in the 1970s.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cIt was a really interesting time for me to be at the University as the spirit of the 1960s started to become mainstream.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Memorable moments<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Martin described the transformative time in his life whilst at Reading, where he became involved in the Gay Liberation Front (GLF)<\/a> and helped found the Reading Gay Alliance<\/a>.<\/p>\n

He said: \u201cThe GLF was formed in 1970, after the New York Stonewall riots in June 1969. I came out in 1969 while at Oxford University, and arrived in Reading in 1970, so I\u2019d only been out for about a year around the time the GLF was created.<\/p>\n

\u201cI began to be aware of London-based GLF activities around the spring of 1971. By the time I was in my second year of university, I\u2019d go to the weekly GLF meeting in Notting Hill Gate, which was attended by several hundred people \u2013 and I often hitchhiked down the M4 to get there.<\/p>\n

\"Image
Martin pictured at the first Pride march in 1972<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cA memorable moment for me was participating in the first Pride march in the UK with the GLF, which took place in London in July 1972. I joined over 700 protestors when I was 24, and half a century later, I joined the 50th<\/sup> anniversary Pride march in 2022.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe even managed to recreate a photo taken at the original Pride march.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Image<\/a>
Martin pictured at the 50th anniversary of the first Pride march in July 2022<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

See the photos of Martin at London\u2019s Pride march in 1972 and 2022<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The GLF helped to expand the gay movement around the country, and Martin decided to attend the Reading University Group for Homosexuals, called RUGH which Martin personally pronounced as Rouge. \u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

He said: \u201cI went along to this group one night in a pub in Market Place and found around five people sitting quietly having a drink. It wasn\u2019t at all what I was used to, as our meetings in London were quite loud with a very positive atmosphere.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started to bang the drum about the need for us to be more active in Reading. I talked to other friends and contacts at the University \u2013 in particular with Goff Sargent who was involved in the Campaign for Homosexual Equality (CHE) and had set up RUGH.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe decided to set up the Reading Gay Alliance \u2013 which I called Reggay \u2013 to bring together in the same group those involved in the reformist-style CHE and those in the more rebellious GLF.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cWe wanted to break the mould and hold a public meeting at the University. In February or March 1972, we held the very first public meeting about homosexuality in Reading at the University\u2019s Palmer Building, with a prominent guest-speaker Warren Haig from the GLF in London.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

“To our amazement, we had about 30 people turn up!\u201d<\/p>\n

Following this, Martin discovered that there was a whole network of private gay social events taking place in the town of Reading, but always closeted and out of public view.<\/p>\n

He said: \u201cI wanted to help many more people come out, so along with a few others, we planned to hold Reading\u2019s first ever gay dance in June 1972. This took place in St Andrew\u2019s Hall [now the Museum of English Rural Life] and attracted around 60 people, including university students and people from the town. It was groundbreaking. Later that summer, we started the first regular gay and lesbian night at The Railway Tavern opposite the Station.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was hoping to celebrate the 50th<\/sup> anniversary of those events but that took place during COVID so it didn\u2019t happen. However, all these and other events will be celebrated at the Wolfenden Lecture in February.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cWe can\u2019t let these things be forgotten, because people were very brave in actually stepping up and organising them. Not just me \u2013 everybody was courageous to stand up and say: \u2018Oh by the way, I\u2019m not like you. I\u2019m gay\u2019.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

“One of my favourite badges I used to wear around the University stated: \u2018How dare you presume I am heterosexual!\u2019 \u2013 I think we need to mark that moment in time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Martin was grateful to have felt supported during his time at Reading. He said: \u201cI did have a couple of negative experiences in response to my sexuality, but overall I had a great friendship group around me. My friends in Sibly Hall were very supportive, as were university staff members \u2013 I remember one of the librarians lending me a corset when I played Widow Twankey in \u2018Carouse\u2019!\u201d<\/p>\n

Making dreams a reality<\/strong><\/h4>\n

After graduating Martin stayed on living in Reading until the early 1980s, and at the start of the 1990s he fell into a career in fundraising by chance, as a result of rupturing his Achilles tendon whilst dancing the tango.<\/p>\n

He explained: \u201cIt was quite an exciting way to rupture my tendon I suppose! At the same time, I was made redundant from the magazine I worked for, and my cousin, who was Development Director at Lincoln College in Oxford, said that he thought I would make a good fundraiser. There wasn\u2019t much else I could do with my leg in plaster, so while I recuperated I joined my cousin in Oxford and he taught me the basics of charity fundraising. I\u2019ve now got 35 years\u2019 experience working with some amazing donors and charities to build sustainable relationships that, I believe, have changed the world in many ways.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cI love my work now as a consultant, having the opportunity to make people\u2019s dreams a reality \u2013 literally. I\u2019ve learnt an enormous amount about the power of philanthropy.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

While it has been a few decades since Martin attended the University of Reading, he hasn\u2019t forgotten how life-changing his time here was \u2013 and he has remained an active member of our community ever since.<\/p>\n

He said: \u201cI\u2019ve given advice to a previous Vice-Chancellor about setting up a development function and offered fundraising training to the Development Teams over the years. But my favourite connection has been with the volunteer tours for the Friends of the University of Reading, which I have led for the past 13 years. Two of my tours this year were to the Arcadian Thames in South West London, where I took a group of about 20 of The Friends. I\u2019ve also led tours for them of the London Docklands \u2013 from Wapping to Tilbury and back again.<\/p>\n

\n

\u201cWhile I was still working full-time, I donated for a number of years to the University because Reading helped to transform my life. I wanted to give thanks and recognition for that.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

“In particular, as the University was the site of my gay liberation experience, which was so important to me.<\/p>\n

\u201cUltimately this place changed who I am for the better. I have very warm feelings for this institution, and I am honoured to be asked to give the Wolfenden Lecture.\u201d<\/p>\n

Find out more about The Friends of the University of Reading<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Book your ticket for the Wolfenden Lecture<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Martin Kaufman was an influential figure in Reading\u2019s gay liberation movement in the 1970s, and over 50 years later, he shares how he\u2019s working with the University to ensure that the bravery of those people \u2013 who stood up for the rights of all those who were stigmatised over their sexuality \u2013 is not forgotten. 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