| Discrete Collections | Hall-Carpenter Archives |
| Title | Ian Buist papers |
| Ref No | BUIST |
| Level | Collection |
| Date | [1960]-2012 |
| Extent | 20 boxes |
| Admin Biographical History | John Latto Farquharson ("Ian") Buist (1930-2012) began his career in the Colonial Office in 1952 and spent much of the 1950s and '60s posted in Africa. He would later serve as Under Secretary, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Overseas Development Administration), 1976-90.
Buist had been open about his sexuality since returning from Africa at the end of 1969, and in the 1970s was involved with the Campaign for Homosexual Equality. He was also a founder member of the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement (1976). In 1979, he encouraged his trade union - FDA - to adopt a policy of equal homosexual/heterosexual rights.
During the 2000s he was one of the leading advisers on Parliamentary and public issues for LGCM. He became Secretary of the United Reformed Church Caucus of LGCM in 1997.
Information mainly from Who Was Who and Buist's response to a questionnaire, 6 March 2002. |
| Description | Papers of Ian Buist arranged as follows:
- Autobiographical paper and related items (BUIST/1)
- Civil Service policy on gays and lesbians in the 1950s-2000s (BUIST/2)
- General correspondence with, and papers of, LGBT+ rights groups (BUIST/3-6)
- Lobbying government, parliament and official committees on LGBT+ matters, especially age of consent, equality legislation, civil partnerships and education/schools (BUIST/7-31)
- United Reformed Church Caucus of LGCM / Reformed Churches Caucus of LGCM (BUIST/32-35)
- Religion and LGBT+ people (BUIST/36-37)
- General correspondence (BUIST/38)
- Print and grey literature from various sources (BUIST/39)
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Abbreviations:
LGCM: Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement
URC: United Reformed Church |
| Access Status | Mainly open; some items closed |