Administrative/Biographical History: 

Patriic Gayle (he/him) has worked in HIV/AIDS and gay men’s health since the mid-1980s. Based in London, his earlier years span volunteer, outreach worker, buddy, trainer, activist, NUPE trade union rep and telephone counsellor 1980s and early 1990s. Organisations include Leeds AIDS Advice, National AIDS Helpline, Terrence Higgins Trust, Department of Health, and St Thomas Hospital. From 1991 to 1994, Gayle wrote the “medical matters” column for *ff magazine, gaining a reputation for a no nonsense writing style. He co-founded Rubberstuffers, a London condom-pack service (1993–1994), and developed the House Party HIV prevention campaigns: House Party 1 in London (1996) and House Party 2: Back on the Street across the UK (1997). His publications include "The Handbook for Gay Men: A Practical Guide to Your Arse, Douching, Dildoes and Fisting" (1995), "Together: Life, Love and Lube" (2001), and "Together 2" (2010), the latter forming the basis for the health and wellbeing website MENRUS.CO.UK (2016). In 2010, he co-founded the Gay Men’s Health Collective (GMHC), focusing on gay men's health and wellbeing, chemsex harm reduction, and HIV/ HCV co[1]infection. Under GMHC, he has coordinated MENRUS.CO.UK, PIP PAC safer chems packs, Safer 1-2 booklet sets, and the Cool Beans booklets (Vol. 1–3), and Flying Piglets film making. Gayle continues to advance GMHC projects in the 2020s, innovating community-led responses to health and wellbeing among gay and bisexual men. The hallmarks of his work remain independence, a holistic approach to health, and a straightforward, no-nonsense writing style. This acerbic bear of a man remains as charming as he is curmudgeonly, while continuing to produce resources that connect gay men to their health and well-being.

Scope and Content: 

Papers of Patriic Gayle, which relate to his career within the HIV/AIDS and wider Gay Men’s Health field. Includes collated material on HIV/AIDS, safer sex, drugs, Haemophilia; related ephemera; records relating to grassroots HIV/AIDS organisations including The Terrence Higgins Trust, Body Positive, AIDS North, Leeds AIDS Advice; records relating to other organisations including the Haemophilia Society and various trade unions including NUPE (National Union of Public Employees) and NALGO (National Association of Local Government Officers), as well as related conferences; records relating to work by Patriic Gayle which includes his outreach work with Prisoners with HIV/AIDS; various writing contributions including health columns for FF Magazine, comic strips and his own publication ‘The Hand Book: A Practical Guide to Your Arse Douching, Dildoes and Fisting for Gay Men; workshops he has developed and led; and various initiatives and organisations he has developed or co-founded including Rubberstuffers, Gay Men’s Health Collective, and The House Party games he developed (1985-2015).

Quantity: 

4 boxes; 1 oversized folder; 38 jps; 94 giffs; 33 HTML docs.