Beyond ‘Gentleman Jack’: how the sleepy borough of Calderdale became a queer capital of the North
Halifax-born creatives Ryan Cahill and Jesse Glazzard speak to LGBTQIA+ locals in the West Yorkshire area and explore the potential for Pride and progress outside of the Big Smoke.
WORDS BY RYAN CAHILL PHOTOGRAPHY BY JESSE GLAZZARD Calderdale. Situated in the heart of West Yorkshire with picturesque rolling hills and laced with striking former textile mills, it’s a characterful town with a population to match.
I spent the entirety of my adolescence and early adulthood calling Halifax in Calderdale my “home”. My family and core friendship group still live there and I consider it to be one of the most visually beautiful places I know.
But despite the scenic landscapes and historic Victorian architecture, growing up in the area, I felt othered. There were very few queer people around that I could relate to, and definitely no older LGBTQIA+ individuals that I could use as a blueprint for living a fulfilling life in the area.
