Simon Blake
28 Jun 2025
Grief in the LGBTQ+ community
Death is the one certainty we will all face in life - our own and that of others we love. Yet so many people within our society find death, dying and bereavement incredibly difficult to talk about and deal with. On top of the general taboo there are specific realities within the LGBTQ+ community from living through the HIV epidemic, being estranged from our families or experiencing the death of people we love from addiction and suicide. Understanding and being able to talk about death, dying and lean into grief is essential and this talk and Q and A will create space for those conversations.
Simon is CEO of Stonewall. He started his career as an HIV outreach worker in the 90s and has worked in a wide range of social justice issues including mental health and suicide. He is no stranger to death - over the last decade his immediate family - his brother, Mum and Dad - have all died. A dear friend also died by suicide in that period. He is co-editor of Sisters and Brothers -stories about the death of a sibling with Julie Bentley, CEO of the Samaritans. Simon is very clear he is not an expert or a professional, but he is driven by a strong belief that we have to get better at talking about death, dying and bereavement.