A decade on, have lessons been learned after the Barking Murders saw four vunerable gay men killed, and many others fall victim to Stephen Port? Episode one of new QueerAF Uncovered series, Catch Us When We Fall
Ten years since 'Grindr Killer' Stephen Port, the systems that should be protecting gay, bi and queer men are still failing them and letting vulnerable people fall through the gaps.
In episode one of six in this new series, Catch Us When We Fall, we explore chemsex and the role it plays in parts of the LGBTQIA+ community. From why people are drawn to it, to the complicated relationship between sex, drugs, identity and belonging, we ask how something that can feel liberating and communal can also leave people vulnerable to harm.
Reporter Rory Boyle sets out his own connection to the chemsex scene, where we are in terms of chemsex crime prevention in the UK and beyond, the lasting impact of the Stephen Port case, and how we can create positive change.
Resources:
- Listen to Rory's previous QueerAF episode here
- Harm reduction, drugs and chemsex resources from the Love Tank
- Free professional support from Controlling Chemsex
Content warnings: This episode contains discussions of recreational drug use, including crystal meth, GHB/GBL, mephedrone, injecting drugs and addiction. It also explores drug overdoses and deaths, sexual assault and rape, drug-facilitated sexual violence, sexual exploitation, predatory behaviour and murder, including the Stephen Port killings. Contributors share personal experiences of sexual assault, addiction and bereavement, including the death of a family member following a G overdose. The episode also discusses mental health, psychosis, loneliness, homophobia and institutional discrimination. Some listeners may find these subjects distressing.
