OLDER QUEER VOICES ICONS 2026

Sue Sanders is a pioneering educator, academic and activist whose work has been central to advancing LGBTQ+ inclusion in education and public life in the UK. A co-founder of Schools OUT UK, she has spent decades challenging discrimination in schools and championing safer, more inclusive learning environments for LGBTQ+ students and staff.

She played a leading role in resisting Section 28, the 1988 UK law that prohibited the “promotion” of homosexuality by local authorities. Her advocacy helped lay the groundwork for its eventual repeal in 2003.

Sue is also one of the founding figures of LGBT+ History Month in the UK, helping ensure LGBTQ+ lives, histories and contributions are recognised and celebrated in education and beyond. Her lifelong commitment to education, activism and social justice makes her a deeply deserving recipient of this recognition. We are very pleased to recognise Emiretus Professor Sue Sanders as an Older Queer Icon 2026.

A pioneering Black gay activist, he became involved with the Gay Liberation Front in the early 1970s and helped organise the first UK Gay Pride March in 1972.  Alongside his late partner Noel Glynn, Ted campaigned tirelessly against racism, homophobia and media prejudice, co-founding Black Lesbians and Gays Against Media Homophobia. 

In recent years, Ted has become an even more powerful advocate for older LGBT+ people in care after Noel developed Alzheimer’s dementia and suffered abuse in a care home. Ted successfully fought for justice on Noel’s behalf and has continued campaigning for more inclusive, dignified and compassionate care for LGBT+ elders. His lifelong activism has earned major civic and academic recognition. 

Savitri  is a British Sri Lankan lesbian activist, writer and community advocate who has spent decades working for a more equal, compassionate and inclusive society. A pioneering voice for queer people of colour, she helped found and worked with London’s Black Lesbian and Gay Centre from 1985 to 1994; a groundbreaking organisation created by and for LGBTQ+ communities of colour. 

Alongside her activism, Savi has worked extensively in health, social care and community involvement, championing the voices of service users, carers and marginalised communities. Her lifelong commitment to justice and inclusion makes her a deeply deserving recipient of this recognition, as an Older Queer Icon 2026

Caroline Paige served for 35 years in the Royal Air Force, protecting the UK and Falklands during the Cold War and flying operations in Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Iraq and Afghanistan. In 1999, she became the first openly serving transgender officer in the British Armed Forces and went on to play a pivotal role in advancing transgender inclusion and policy within the military.

Following her retirement from the RAF in 2014, Caroline became an international speaker and advocate for diversity, inclusion and transgender equality. In 2020, she co-founded Fighting With Pride, the LGBT+ military charity supporting veterans impacted by the Armed Forces’ former ban on LGBTQ+ service personnel.

An author, patron and tireless campaigner, Caroline has dedicated her life to service, visibility and justice, earning national honours including an MBE.We are very pleased to recognise Caroline Paige as an Older Queer Icon 2026.

Julian Hows was born in Brixton, in 1955 and came out as gay in his early teens. Expelled from school at 16 for openly expressing his sexuality and engaging with the Gay Liberation Front, he went on to become part of the radical queer communities of Notting Hill and Brixton, helping establish a housing co-operative that continues today.

Over the decades, Julian has combined activism a varied working life, including roles in community development, social work, outreach, research, human rights advocate, and as a sex worker and train guard. An activist and worker within the HIV sector since 1983, Julian has had, in his words, 'the privilege of not just living with HIV,  but being employed  in roles  supporting people living with HIV fighting for dignity, justice and equality. From 2009 to 2024, based in Amsterdam, he led international programmes for the Global Network of People Living with HIV and contributed to the work of the HIV Justice Network.

Femi Otitoju has been a pioneering voice for Black lesbian and LGBTQ+ equality for over four decades. A lifelong activist, writer and community organiser, she helped establish the first Black Lesbian Group in the UK and has played a leading role in advancing equality, visibility and inclusion across the LGBTQ+ community.

Femi volunteered for London Lesbian and Gay Switchboard, The London Lesbian and Gay Centre, Stonewall Housing and the Black Lesbian and Gay Centre while also contributing to influential feminist and LGBTQ+ publications and campaigns.  She was one of the first officers in the London Borough of Haringey Lesbian and Gay Unit, the first Lesbian and Gay unit in the UK.

Through her work in local government, the voluntary sector and diversity consultancy, Femi has created spaces where Black LGBTQ+ people can be seen, heard and celebrated. She is currently the Chair of Queerwell.Her decades of advocacy, leadership and community building make her a truly deserving recipient of the Older Queer Icon 2026 recognition.

Liz Carr is one of Britain’s most influential disabled performers, activists and public voices. Best known for her groundbreaking role as Clarissa in the BBC drama Silent Witness, Liz has consistently used her platform to challenge discrimination, champion disability justice and fight for greater representation both on and off screen.

Through her acclaimed theatre work, broadcasting and documentaries including Better Off Dead? Liz has amplified voices too often ignored and sparked vital conversations about care, autonomy and the value of every human life  

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Linda Riley is a trailblazing publisher, entrepreneur and LGBTQ+ activist whose work has transformed lesbian visibility and representation in the UK and beyond. As the Ex Publisher of DIVA Magazine, the world’s leading publication for LGBTQIA+ women and non-binary people, she has spent decades creating platforms that celebrate queer lives, stories and communities.

Linda also founded Lesbian Visibility Week, the Diva Charitable Trust, The Rainbow Honours, the British Diversity Awards, the European Diversity Awards, and the Pride Power List; all landmark initiatives that have elevated LGBTQ+ visibility, recognised excellence, and driven inclusion across sectors. Linda is also a Patron of anti LGBTQIA bullying charity Diversity Role Models 

Through her publishing, campaigning and public leadership, Linda has reshaped how LGBTQ+ women are seen and celebrated, building institutions that continue to influence culture and equality today. Her vision, impact and lifelong commitment to justice make her a deeply deserving recipient of this recognition.

Catherine Dixon is an accomplished CEO, solicitor, mediator and leader whose career has spanned law, health, arbitration and public service. She has held senior roles including Chief Executive of the Law Society of England and Wales, NHS Resolution, and the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, alongside leadership positions at the NSPCC and Bupa.

Alongside her executive career, Catherine has made a significant contribution to equality and inclusion. She chaired Stonewall, and is now a trustee of Fighting With Pride, supporting LGBT+ veterans. Catherine served as an officer in the British Army but was forced to leave at a time when homosexuality was a criminal offence in the armed forces. She has campaigned for those dismissed under the ban to be recognised for their service and to receive appropriate reparations.

Lisa Power is one of the most influential figures in modern British LGBTQ+ history. An openly lesbian activist since the 1970s, she co-founded both Stonewall and The Pink Paper, helped shape the UK’s response to HIV and AIDS, and became the first openly LGBT person to speak about queer rights at the United Nations. 

For more than four decades, Lisa has campaigned tirelessly for equality, sexual health and LGBTQ+ visibility, working with organisations including Switchboard, the Terrence Higgins Trust and the International Lesbian and Gay Association. A writer, historian and trustee of Queer Britain, she has also helped preserve and share the history of queer lives and activism for future generations. Her courage, leadership and lifelong commitment to justice make her a truly deserving recipient of this recognition as on Older Queer Icon 2026