1994 - HIV/AIDS diagnosis: Cornwall
August 1994: Lidbury’s partner, Andrew Roger Smith was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS. Information about Andy’s HIV/AIDS diagnosis leaked within 24 hrs from Treliske hospital to the village where the couple lived. The couple then began a very public battle against institutional & public HIV/AIDS prejudice and homophobic discrimination.
Their home in the village of Brea, Nr Camborne subjected to dog excrement attack, graffiti, petrol through front door, the couple received hate mail and death threats.
Local Cornish youths pelted Andrew with stones. Andy was at the time already blind as a result of an HIV/AIDS related symptomatic condition, ‘Cytomegalovirus’ :- The hate campaign directed at Andy & Malcolm reported to Cornwall police.
Devon & Cornwall Police. Quote; "Your gay and have HIV/AIDS, what do you expect?"
Jan 96: West Briton newspaper article
Cornwall police did nothing to assist the victims or prevent the escalating hate crimes. The couple slept with pre-prepared petrol bombs on their window sill, least they needed to defend the couple’s home in which Andrew was blind & terminally ill. The hostility & prejudice towards gay HIV/AIDS suffers in particular from Cornwall’s Police & other authorities in Cornwall was & still is appalling, despite police PR, spin, lip service to equality.
Lidbury responded to the authority prejudice with an HIV/AIDS cartoon for the ICT newsletter:-
Some components of the Cornwall LGBT community rallied to Andy, in particular supportive some in the lesbian community
Sept 94: Front Cover ICT LGBT newsletter
Lidbury was later a trustee of the HIV/AIDS Cornwall Aids Council, trustee for the discretionary HIV/AIDS Sprocket Trust and gay men’s voluntary support worker for the Truro City Hospital GU Clinic. Lidbury organized and ran an LGBT supper group, along with a midweek lgbt social group (Jasmine Gardens, Parc Vean, Redruth). Also a LGBT summer weekend tea garden with real cream & jam scones, crumpets & teacakes (Somewhere on a Sunday) throughout 2003-05.
NB: Tea Garden: This was definitely NOT the USA interpretation of the gay slang term - Tea Party or Tea Room
The Cornwall AIDS Council, Truro City Hospital GU Clinic, Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Health Promotion unit adopted use of one of Lidbury’s cartoons for health promotion purposes.
Oct 94: Front Cover ICT LGBT newsletter
