‘One of the greatest gifts of my life’
I waited more than 63 years to see something like Gentleman Jack on TV, having spent most of my lifetime watching shows and movies that rarely had anyone like me in them. In Gentleman Jack, we see both Anne and Ann dealing with many of the same issues, emotions and obstacles that lesbians in our times are still dealing with. There were so many times Anne Lister would make a comment that was an arrow to my heart, because I knew what she was feeling even if I live 200 years later. Getting to know Anne and Ann through the programme, and now through my own reading, has been one of the greatest gifts of my life. Robin, 66, retired, Texas
‘Because of this show, I stood for election to the General Synod of the Church of England’
My favourite moment has to be the scene where Anne and Ann take communion together at Holy Trinity church, Goodramgate, in York. I have never been so moved by one scene in anything I have seen before. And these were real women, women erased from our collective history as so many others from the LGBTQ+ community have been.
I featured in the BBC documentary Gentleman Jack Changed My Life, discussing this scene and the fact that gay people today still cannot marry in the Church of England, meaning we are in exactly the same position as Anne and Ann almost two centuries later. Because of this show and that particular scene, I stood for election to the General Synod of the Church of England alongside hundreds of other inclusive candidates, on a platform of support for same-sex marriage, and we doubled the number who were elected. I will not stop talking about this, and fighting for my chance to one day marry in the church I sing in every week as a member of the choir. Gentleman Jack is a one-of-a-kind programme that has genuinely changed and saved lives, and it is appalling that it was dropped by HBO days after Pride Month ended. Save Gentleman Jack! Isabel, 29, London
‘Watching Gentleman Jack opened my heart to myself again’
I hadn’t realised how numb I had become during the course of the pandemic. I wasn’t feeling any more and rarely showed emotion. But watching Gentleman Jack opened my heart to myself again. Each scene could elicit something different – smiles, laughter, tears or anger. Now, I feel like myself again!
My favourite moment was the scene when Anne breaks down crying, admitting to Ann that she knows people look at her and say things, but she has trained herself to “rise above it”. And that moment when she wonders aloud if anyone could really love her – I’ve lived this scene in my own bed more than once. Stephanie, 58, healthcare project manager, Wisconsin
‘It’s the people I’ve met through Anne Lister’
Just watching a well-made drama where the main couple is lesbian is huge to me, but what’s more important is the community that has been created around Anne Lister, which consists mostly of queer women and non-binary people of all ages. As someone who doesn’t have any real-life queer friends, I’ve met people through the programme who have helped me come to terms with myself and my sexuality. They have been to me what Anne was to Ann when she struggled with her sexuality. Bella, 20, gender studies student, Sweden
‘It helped me realise my love for my partner’
It is such a special series, like none other I’ve seen before. Anne Lister’s story has helped me grow more confident in myself and my sexuality, and accept and embrace who I am as a person. It helped me realise my love for my partner and helped bring us together and admit our feelings for each other, something I am incredibly grateful for. Neve, 20, psychology student, Manchester
‘It will always remind me of my sister’
As a black man, I’m not the usual demographic for this one! My mates have laughed at my dedication but my sister introduced me to it. My little sister Abby was in hospital for cancer treatment and I watched it with her. She was a lesbian and it meant the world to her, so I gave it a chance. It’s a touching and well-made piece of TV, and as I love history and the politics, I easily found myself immersed once I let myself open up to it. It was a nice break from reality shows – a good, solid historical drama. And it will always remind me of Abby and her joy in watching it. Very sad for it not to continue. Toby, 27, barista, London
‘I can’t think of a better acting performance on TV during my lifetime’
Everything about this show is sensational. When I watched Normal People back in 2020, I didn’t think that TV series would ever be surpassed, but Gentleman Jack has proved me wrong. Suranne Jones is an absolute force of nature amid a stellar cast including Gemma Whelan, Gemma Jones, Timothy West et al. I can’t think of a better acting performance on TV during my lifetime than Suranne Jones’s portrayal of the incredible and multi-faceted character of Anne Lister. And (top) hats off to the re-creation of industrial-revolution-era Halifax. Probably the standout scene is when Jones is explaining how the body works, especially the power of the brain (“this lump of stuff”) to an increasingly animated Sophie Rundle (Ann Walker). Let’s hope the BBC reconsiders and recommissions a third series, with or without HBO. Des, 64, retired, Nottingham
‘It was funny, sexy, groundbreaking’
The show was just brilliantly written. It was exciting, funny, sexy, groundbreaking television, with wonderful performances and production values. The show has had a far-reaching impact on communities across the globe. I mourn not just for myself but for everyone else whose lives Gentleman Jack has changed for the better. I am truly gutted that we may never get to see Shibden Hall and Suranne Jones (who embodies Anne Lister so brilliantly) strut through those doors again. I can’t quite believe the journey is over when the story had only just begun. Jo, 45, administrator, Watford
‘I transcribed pages of the journals Anne Lister kept’
Following series one, I was fortunate to become involved in the West Yorkshire Archive Service’s transcription project, and I transcribed pages of the journals Anne kept, which are now being checked and corrected prior to being made available online. I have found like-minded friends across the globe, and have visited Halifax, Shibden and many other locations that Anne either knew very well or visited on her travels. I was interviewed for Janet Lea’s book, The Gentleman Jack Effect, and I have created online travel maps, contributed to the Anne Lister research summit and attended ALBW (Anne Lister birthday week) earlier this year. Being made aware of Anne Lister through Sally Wainwright’s Gentleman Jack has changed my life. Janneke, 50, airline worker, Hilversum, the Netherlands
‘It meant having no boundaries’
Gentleman Jack meant power, strength, courage and being unapologetic. It meant never having to say you’re sorry for loving who you wanted. It meant having no boundaries and taking a stand on being the person you wanted to be. Gentleman Jack was an eye-opener for myself and women around the world to let us know that we were – and still are – in control of our life, love and happiness. It being cancelled was like the crushing blow of Thor’s hammer. Devastating. Shaunda, 49, artist, London
‘Gentleman Jack was the first validation I had’
Gentleman Jack was the first validation I’d had, at a ripe 58 years old, that I was born this way and was a good person. Surely there cannot be a greater validation of one’s being than to be ‘“seen” on TV? I will forever be extremely grateful to Sally Wainwright, Suranne Jones, Sophie Rundle and the entire cast and crew for bringing Anne Lister to our hearts and homes. Their care in producing outstanding programming is a credit to their skills and dedication. That this story was a labour of love shone through each episode, and my sincere hope is that they get the opportunity to complete it. Julie, 61, professor, France/US
‘It’s a period drama that’s so gay!’
I love period dramas – the romance, the costumes, the historical aspects – but they have always been so straight, and that’s not me. It’s so beautiful to watch women like Anne Lister and Ann Walker experience emotions and situations that I can relate to in such a deep way, 200 years later. I get to enjoy everything I love about a period piece with the added bonus of it being so gay! It has touched my heart in a way not many shows or films ever did. Mariana, 31, illustrator and graphic designer, Mexico City
‘Conducting my research on Gentleman Jack is a real privilege’
Gentleman Jack has changed my life very significantly, and that feels like quite an understatement! I am currently undertaking an interdisciplinary PhD in Heritage, Tourism, and Lesbian & Queer Identification: Anne Lister and 21st-century “Lister Sisters”. Already this show has given me the opportunity to collaborate and communicate with an incredible global community of fans and scholars, and conducting my research on Anne Lister, on Gentleman Jack and the “Lister Sisters” (and siblings!) it has inspired is a real privilege.
On a less professional note, as a lesbian and as a person who does not fit neatly into the box of “woman”, seeing Anne strut through Halifax, showing deep affection for the women she loves and constantly reaching for her goals – that feels like coming home to a brilliant part of yourself you hadn’t quite understood yet. I’m indescribably grateful to Sally Wainwright and would love if Gentleman Jack continued so that more people have the opportunity to recognise themselves like that. It is a wonderful feeling. Sarah, 27, PhD researcher, Surrey
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