My mother, Jackie Briggs, who has died aged 77, dedicated much of her later life to helping parents understand and accept their children’s sexual orientation or gender identity, a cause that was deeply personal to her after both of her own children came out. Her natural warmth had led her to community work. This included volunteering as a companion to elderly people through the East Finchley Neighbourhood Centre and taking her beloved whippet, Coby, to primary schools as part of a “pets as therapy” programme, helping children to build their confidence in reading.
But it was her work with Families Together London (FTL), a support group for parents of LGBTQ+ children, that became her defining cause. For nearly 20 years, Jackie provided invaluable support to families, offering encouragement to those struggling with their children’s coming out and serving as a vocal advocate on the radio and at conferences. She was also a longtime member of the community advisory board for Pride in London. She was as comfortable talking with fellow parents in the church hall where the group met every month, as she was marching down Oxford Street in the Pride parade, tannoy in hand and waving a banner.
