Steve Retson was born in Glasgow in 1953. He emigrated to Canada when he married, but his growing acceptance of his sexuality led to his separation on his return to Glasgow in 1985. This marked the start of Steve's work as a gay activist.
Steve's work for Strathclyde Lesbian and Gay Switchboard from 1985-1990 included development of training strategies and increasing the public's awareness of the needs of the Gay Community in Strathclyde.
In 1990 Steve became Project Manager for Scottish AIDS Monitor in Strathclyde, where he was an eloquent advocate both for gay men and people living with HIV and AIDS.
Steve always stressed the need for services to be accessible and welcoming and, in the face of reluctance and opposition, he produced a strategy which included a range of recommendations for HIV prevention among gay men. Steve argued persistently for community representation in the development of new services. For many, Steve was a role model of how to live an openly gay lifestyle in a relaxed and confident way.
This Project was initiated by Steve Retson and developed with his ideas at heart. Steve died on Monday 21 February 1994 from AIDS.