North London Line
North London Line
Set up in September 1987 as a statutory provision for lesbian and gay youth in the London Boroughs of Islington and Camden. Joint funded by both Boroughs and providing for detached youth work, Jane Dixon and Ray Walker created the organisation and appointed Maureen Hand and Brian Healey as its first paid youth workers. It was based in the Barnsbury Complex (now private housing). Part time provision for lesbian youth had existed in Islington since 1979 and Camden Young Lesbian Group was established in 1987 [1]. The Islington group emerged from the London Gay Teenage Group. Lesbian and Gay Youth Action (LAGYAG) was born out of opposition to Clause 28 in 1988.
An HIV support group for HIV positive young people was established by the NLL. This was called Positive Young Gay Group and established in December 1988 [2]. Other groups were set up to cater for particular needs such as 'Gay and Disabled', 'Breakthru' (for young gay and bisexual male survivors of sexual abuse), 'Transitions' (for Camden young gay and bisexual men) and 'Camden Black Lesbian Group' [3].
Page 12 of the 1988/89 Annual Report states that young people 'developing a positive sexual identity' often leads to questioning 'some fundamental aspects of the way society is run'. Many ex members of NLL went on 'to make significant contributions to the lesbian, gay and wider communities'.
