Chris Gillen

Guidance Support Worker

I was born in Manchester, UK, raised in Manchester, UK, and currently live in Manchester, UK. But I have been a little traveller in my time, big thanks to my mum and dad for that. I’ve been fortunate to visit many luxurious holiday destinations, including Barbados, Paris, Dubai, and Rome. The list does go on, but no one likes a show-off, so I’ll shut up now—lol.

Dubai does stand out from the crowd for me personally, though, as it was in Dubai where I first experienced psychosis… yes, that’s right… I had a psychotic episode that changed my life…

…FOREVER!!!!

I am the second-born child of my parents, Colette and Geoff. I have an older brother, Michael, who is currently forty, and I have a large extended family. I consider myself very blessed where my family is concerned and in many other ways too, but more on that later. I was raised Roman Catholic and attended Roman Catholic schools throughout my schooling journey, but my favourite was “Holy Cross Sixth Form College” when I was sixteen. I had just left high school and was starting to come into my own a lot more at that age. I really excelled in my first year of college, showing great potential, but my second year was a slightly different story.

I was busy finding my gay self, so my grades dropped. I remember completing my A-Level English exam still high off ecstasy, which I had taken the night before on a crazy night out in Manchester’s infamous “gay village.” I was living my best life on Canal Street without a thought about my A-Level exam the next day. But like I said, I was finding myself, and in hindsight, I obviously saw discovering my gay self as more important than passing my A-Level English Literature exam… naughty boy!!!

As you now know from reading the above, I’m a gay man, and I truly believe I was born gay, not nurtured into gayhood. That is important to know, as it will tell you a lot about how I feel about my own homosexuality. I’m proud to be born gay, and I believe the Roman Catholic idea that homosexuality is a deep sin is ludicrous. I firmly believe that God made me gay and has chosen me to walk this gay path today.

I cannot speak for any other LGBTQ+ people, as I am only me. I only know what I believe and stand for, which is why this is a book about me—my life, my beliefs, and my experiences. If you stay with me, you may get a few of my opinions too… but you must read on for that.