Thank you for joining us at the Well Proud Conference on Friday 27 February 2026.
The day, hosted by Ginger Johnson, winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK and Celebrity MasterChef, brings together a wide range of speakers exploring key LGBTQ+ health and wellbeing themes. These include HIV prevention, smoking cessation, outreach, safer relationships, Pride and community connection, drugs and alcohol, chemsex, lived experience, and creative responses to stigma and inequality.
Delegates heard from projects and initiatives including Queer as Smoke, LEVEL, DRAG, Queer Bits, local Pride organisations and more. The conference also closed with a powerful performance from theatre maker, film maker, writer, performer, director, producer and HIV activist Nathaniel J Hall.
You can find out more about all of the projects, speakers and initiatives featured on the day below.
As discussed throughout the conference, many of the themes explored are complex and challenging. If any of the issues raised have prompted further questions or reflections, we encourage you to connect with the relevant organisations directly or get in touch with us.
Your Feedback
We would really value your feedback, so please take a few minutes to complete the short survey and help shape future Well Proud events.
Your Host
We were delighted to have Ginger Johnson as our host for the day.
Ginger Johnson is an award-winning artist, writer, performer, presenter and helium balloon in the shape of a woman. Though for the conference was out of drag!
After a 15-year career as a critically acclaimed cabaret artist and theatre maker, she shot to international stardom when she was crowned winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK series five.
Since then, she has wowed audiences across the globe, cementing her reputation as a powerhouse drag performer with a big heart and an even bigger mout
Her theatre work includes a string of five-star, self-penned productions that push the boundaries of drag and live performance, including Down The Rabbit Hole, The Queen’s Head, How To Catch A Krampus, Ginger Johnson’s Happy Place, Escape From Planet Trash and Dog Show. She also starred as Captain Hook in Peter Pan in London’s West End.
Her recent solo show Ginger Johnson Blows Off! (2024), in which she attempted to fulfil her childhood dream of becoming a daredevil stuntwoman, received five-star reviews and sold-out runs in Edinburgh, London and venues across the UK.
On screen, Ginger created and starred in her own BBC Three show Ginger’s House (2024), blending classic British sitcom style with her trademark absurdity. In 2025, she was crowned BBC One’s Celebrity MasterChef Champion. She also co-created and presented Wakey! (2020), a digital breakfast show focused on mental health and wellbeing.
Surprising, irreverent and joyfully silly, Ginger continues to carve out her place as a bold and unstoppable force of queer creativity.
Spotlight Sessions
WP Conference Presentation Queer as SmokePrevention, Care and Connection
Anne Glew and Jess Tintor from Brunswick explored ongoing stigma surrounding HIV and the importance of tackling myths through education, visibility and support. The session highlighted the progress made in prevention and the continued need to promote support available
Clearing the Air
Jan Spence from Yorkshire Smokefree Calderdale introduced Queer as Smoke, the LGBTQ+ stop smoking project. They outlined the higher rates of smoking within LGBTQ+ communities and the importance of accessible, inclusive local support.
Presentation
Changing Patterns, Building Safer Relationships
Steph Mallas from WomenCentre introduced LEVEL, a pilot programme supporting behaviour change within LGBTQ+ relationships. The session highlighted the need for specialist responses to domestic abuse and the importance of working with those who cause harm, alongside support for those affected.
Screen with Pride
Caroline Morreale presented Queer Bits, focusing on inclusive information and awareness around cervical, breast, pec and chest health. The session emphasised the need for clear, affirming communication to improve screening uptake and health outcomes.
Towards Zero
John Fox from The Hep C Trust discussed partnership work aimed at ending new HIV, TB and viral hepatitis transmissions by 2030. The session highlighted collaborative approaches through Mission Zero to prevention, testing and reducing health inequalities.
Visibility Without Stigma
Anne Louise Kershaw shared emerging research into sex work in Calderdale. The session explored visibility, safety and the importance of reducing stigma while understanding lived experience within local contexts.
Pride without Prejudice
The Pride session brought together Darren Spruce and Terry Logan from Happy Valley Pride, Beth McGann from Calderdale Pride and Hilary Smith from Holmfirth Pride. Each speaker shared how Pride events in Calderdale and Kirklees create safe, visible and inclusive spaces for LGBTQ+ communities.
The discussion highlighted Pride as more than a single celebration, emphasising year-round community connection, partnership working and the role Pride plays in promoting wellbeing, visibility and belonging across the region.
Presentations
DRAG Panel Session
The DRAG panel, facilitated by John McKernaghan from Brunswick, brought together Lisa Brook and Rachael Langstaff from Calderdale Recovery Steps, alongside Cheryl Blacker from CGL. The discussion explored substance use and alcohol within LGBTQ+ communities and the specific challenges people face, including stigma, barriers to accessing support and the impact of discrimination on wellbeing.
Panellists reflected on the importance of partnership working through DRAG, the value of lived experience in shaping services, and the need for harm reduction approaches that are inclusive, visible and community-led. The session reinforced the importance of collaboration across Calderdale and Kirklees to improve outcomes and reduce stigma.
Let's Talk About Chemsex
Darren Murphy from Forward Leeds delivered an informative session exploring chemsex and its impact within LGBTQ+ communities. He provided a clear overview of what the term means and outlined the substances most commonly involved.
The session examined the risks and potential harms associated with chemsex, alongside practical harm reduction and safeguarding advice.
Darren also discussed the role of gay dating apps in facilitating chemsex and how services can respond more effectively.
Nathaniel J Hall
Nathaniel J Hall is an award-winning writer, performer and HIV activist known for his stigma-smashing shows First Time and Toxic. His community-led creative activism tackling HIV stigma and shame has reached hundreds of thousands through workshops and talks and tens of millions through broadcast media and in print.
He appeared as Donald Bassett in the hit C4 drama It’s A Sin and recently fronted a documentary for C4 on the HIV subculture of bug chasing. First Time and Toxic are published by Nick Hern Books and are available to purchase from Nathaniel after the sharing.
www.nathanieljhall.co.uk | @nathanieljhall
A-Hole
Award-winning theatre-maker Nathaniel J Hall presents a work-in-progress sharing of his new solo show, taking a salacious dive downstairs to expose society’s hang ups about anal sex.
Nathaniel fell out of love with his a-hole for a while. To be fair, it’s been through some sh*t. Literally. Emotionally. Publicly. HIV-positive since sixteen, he’s lived life at full speed, trying to avoid crippling shame. Now he’s pushing forty and he’s fast running out of time to make peace with his posterior. But this time it’s not about trauma. It’s about technique. And in the pursuit of finding true pride, Nathaniel’s ready to open up wider, deeper, than ever before.
Part confessional, part comedy, possibly career-ending — bend over Britain, Nathaniel’s got a few more things he’d like to say.
A-hole will premiere at HOME Mcr in spring 2027.
Key Takeaways
Support is available
Across many of the themes discussed today, LGBTQ+ people are more likely to be impacted, yet less likely to seek support. That gap is not about need. It is about trust, visibility and access. Well Proud is closing that gap by making inclusive support easier to find, easier to understand and easier to trust.
Tailored support leads to better outcomes
LGBTQ+ communities are diverse, and experiences of stigma shape how people engage with services. A one-size-fits-all approach does not work. Progress happens when services listen to lived experience and respond to real lives. Well Proud brings together targeted, culturally aware responses that improve access and outcomes
Collaboration creates lasting change
The projects shared today shows what is possible when community organisations, statutory services and lived experience work together. Sharing real stories strengthens understanding, reduces stigma and builds trust. Well Proud demonstrates that partnership makes change possible, but it needs to be sustainable.
Feedback on the day!
More feedback coming soon