LIFE LESSONS
Member of the House of Lords and co-founder of Stone wall
Michael Cashman
Nobody can accuse Michael Cashman of having lived his life quietly – far from it. As Colin in EastEnders, the ex- actor famously puckered up for the first gay kiss in British soap history and weathered the ensuing storm
from the toxic tabloid press. Michael made even more noise as an LGBTQ rights activist when he co- founded Stonewall alongside Ian McKellen. Moving into politics, he is currently a member of the House of Lords, after resigning from the
Labour Party last year.
Now 69, Michael has penned a memoir, One of Them: From Albert Square to Parliament Square
( Bloomsbury, out now), reflecting on his life’s highs and lows, including the loss of his long- term partner, fellow activist Paul Cottingham.
The biggest obstacle I have had to overcome is my life without Paul and it is an obstacle I face every day. Love is letting go I CAME OUT TO MYSELF AT ABOUT THE AGE OF 10, BUT
TO MY FAMILY GRADUALLY THROUGH MY EARLY TWENTIES. THE REACTIONS WERE MIXED AND MAINLY WARM. MY FRIENDS ALWAYS KNEW At the age of 12, I walked on stage as Oliver [ in the musical of the same name] in the West End and I finally felt I belonged somewhere The highlight of my TV career was when I did my first scenes with June Brown [ Dot Cotton] — a gay man’s dream My pet peeve is politicians who tell people what they want to hear rather than leading public opinion THE LAST TIME I FELT ANGRY WAS WHEN BORIS JOHNSON CELEBRATED HIS ELECTION VICTORY The week Section 28 became law, I knew we had lost the battle. I sat down with Ian [ McKellen] to propose Stonewall so that we could begin to win the war for equality. It was anger that fuelled me. They had picked a fight we needed to win — we still do My early days at Stonewall taught me what could be achieved by working with people to win positive change: the fire in my guts was the audacity that people would dare to deny us equality and dare to discriminate. I was so pissed off MY LIFE MOTTO IS: WE ACHIEVE TOGETHER, ONLY TOGETHER Brexit is the most damaging thing any generation could inflict on younger and future generations. It is an act of indefinable selfishness My most treasured possession is an absurd and stupid sense of humour
If I could give my younger self a piece of advice, it would be: it is OK to be loved and to love, so do it. DO IT!
[ PAUL AND I] MET IN THE LARGELY HETEROSEXUAL WORLD OF SCARBOROUGH, BUTLIN’S, BARBARA WINDSOR AND COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF LAGER. I HAVE SO MANY CHERISHED MEMORIES, NOT LEAST THAT SMILE, AND BEING CHASED DOWN THE STREET BY A GROUP OF PEOPLE BECAUSE WE DARED TO HOLD HANDS IN THE MIDEIGHTIES — AND WE ROARED WITH LAUGHTER
Happiness is him and me – and Eurovision Grief is failing to accept that death makes no sense to the living, but total sense to those who are dying
Recognise that once loved, that love remains with us, it changes us for ever, and as we breathe so they too will breathe, as we laugh so they too will laugh. Their physical presence has gone, but two remain as one