S1E8: Nettie Pollard
GLF, Psychiatry and Telephone Helplines
Long-standing feminist and LGBTQ+ activist, known for her role in the Gay Liberation Front and for her tireless advocacy on lesbian visibility
We sit with Nettie Pollard as she relives the early 1970s Gay Liberation Front, a movement that built a culture of collective courage, mutual care, and playful defiance. From secret ‘zaps’ at the Festival of Light to linking arms outside the Albert Hall, she reveals how the GLF protected one another, challenged the police, and made joy a tactic.
Nettie takes us inside the Counter‑Psychiatry Group working to overcome the label of homosexuality as an “illness” and shares her experiences volunteering for Icebreakers, one of the first LGBTQ+ helplines.
Nettie’s warning is clear: rights can be rolled back when hearts aren’t won. This conversation shows how culture, community, and care can move faster than laws and last longer than headlines.
Since recording this episode, Nettie Pollard sadly died on Christmas Day, 2025
This episode was hosted by Jonathan Chambers and James Alexander
Editing by Hannah Stewart
Music: Mystify created by AlterEgo