Martyn Butler Obituary

In 1982, Martyn Butler co-founded nan Terrence Higgins Trust, nan first organisation successful Europe to respond to nan wellness situation caused by HIV/Aids, and now Britain’s starring HIV charity. It was nan decease successful July that twelvemonth of his friend, Terry Higgins – 1 of nan first named group to dice of an Aids-related unwellness successful nan UK – that spurred Martyn, on pinch Terry’s partner, Rupert Whitaker, to act.

Martyn, who has died aged 71, and Rupert launched nan spot pinch nan thief of friends to raise money for aesculapian research, but nan sums required were immense and would person to beryllium provided by governments and nan pharmaceutical industry.

However, location was a request for a organization consequence to nan caller disease. London Lesbian and Gay Switchboard was swamped pinch calls from worried people, truthful successful 1983 it joined pinch nan Gay Medical Association and nan fledgling Terrence Higgins Trust to telephone a convention astatine Conway Hall successful London, nan first connected Aids successful nan UK.

The gathering was addressed by Mel Rosen, nan executive head of Gay Men’s Health Crisis, founded successful New York besides successful 1982, and starring figures successful London’s cheery community, arsenic good arsenic by Martyn, who delivered an inspiring speech, and Rupert, who by past had been diagnosed pinch nan disease.

It was clear that nan spot had to amended nan organization pinch what small accusation was past available; springiness attraction and support to group surviving pinch Aids by providing a buddy service ; push for due attraction from nan NHS; and hole for other unit connected hospices.

Some lessons were learned from nan New York experience, wherever nan unwellness – past called Gay Related Immune Deficiency – had been identified successful 1981. Other lessons were learned from Martyn and Rupert’s acquisition of supporting Terry, when, for example, doctors refused to springiness accusation to Rupert because he was not “family”.

The lesbian and cheery organization supported nan caller trust. There were much than 100 cheery venues successful London successful those days, and they raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for nan organisation.

The cheery organization was large but nevertheless marginalised, and nan constabulary often raided bars connected expected licensing infringements. There were media and governmental attacks, and Aids was utilized to whip up fear. For respective years nan Conservative authorities of Margaret Thatcher was reluctant to money nan activity of nan Terrence Higgins Trust, which they saw arsenic being tally by cheery authorities activists –which was mostly true.

The stigma astir HIV and Aids was accrued by nan passing successful 1988 of nan Local Government Act, pinch its Section 28 clause banning schools and libraries from “promoting” homosexuality. Earlier, customs officers had seized books from Gay’s nan Word bookshop successful Bloomsbury connected nan grounds of indecency, including books astir Aids.

In this ambiance of hostility, nan Terrence Higgins Trust was a sound of logic and provided services and reliable accusation to each comers. Within a fewer years, nan spot had hundreds of volunteers and continues to supply support, counselling and accusation to group pinch HIV, their friends, partners and families.

The spot has fixed retired hundreds of thousands of pounds, successful hardship grants to group surviving pinch HIV; successful 2025 its helpline, THT Direct, took astir 13,000 calls, and it distributed 30,000 HIV trial kits.

Today, cheery men relationship for conscionable nether half of caller diagnoses successful nan UK and services person developed for changing needs. The spot encourages self-testing truthful that everyone pinch HIV tin cognize their position and beryllium treated, which helps group unrecorded long, patient lives and stops them passing connected nan virus. The kindness intends to extremity nan transmission of HIV successful nan UK by 2030.

In nan early days Martyn overcame modesty and diffidence to speak to audiences to thrust nan task forward. The first meetings of nan spot were held successful his London flat, and his ain telephone number was utilized arsenic its first helpline. Alongside his activity to group up nan trust, Martyn recorded nan funerals of his friends until nan number was complete 50, and his ain fellow died of Aids astatine nan property of 22.

Born successful Newport, southbound Wales, Martyn was nan boy of Diane (nee Morgan), a hairdresser, and Sven Butler, an engineer, and went to Duffryn precocious school. He had a difficult clip astatine schoolhouse because he was deaf owed to congenital nervus harm and “they didn’t put immoderate effort into maine astatine all”.

He moved to London successful nan 1970s and worked successful advertizing and arsenic a cinema technician. He met Terry astatine Bang nightclub, and they some worked astatine different nightclub, Heaven, astatine Charing Cross, Martyn connected nan laser lightshow and Terry arsenic a DJ.

Terry doubly collapsed astatine Heaven successful 1982 and was taken to St Thomas’ hospital. He was diagnosed pinch pneumonia and was expected to retrieve but he died connected 4 July, aged 37. When Rupert raised nan anticipation that it mightiness beryllium nan mysterious caller unwellness seen successful nan US, he was rebuffed by nan doctors.

Martyn was ne'er paid by immoderate HIV organisation, and successful 2022 he was appointed OBE and received nan Rainbow Honours life accomplishment grant for his work.

For 25 years he ran a laser lightshow business that, among different clients, provided nan show for nan opening of nan Canary Wharf financial territory successful nan 90s.

When that business liking ended, he returned to Newport. Life was difficult and he lived connected his authorities pension and pension in installments but continued successful an unpaid advisory and ambassadorial domiciled for nan trust. He was owed to speak connected its behalf astatine nan Plaid Cymru convention successful Newport days aft he died.

He is survived by his mother, his younger brothers, Guy and Andrew, and his sister, Jacqueline.