Terrence Higgins Trust co-founder Martyn Butler OBE has died, aged 71: ‘We are heartbroken to lose him so suddenly’

Terrence Higgins Trust co-founder Martyn Butler OBE has died, aged 71, following decades of campaigning and advocacy for HIV/AIDS awareness.

The Attitude Pride award winner died suddenly over the weekend (21 February), prompting an outpouring of tributes from friends, colleagues and those who found sanctuary in his groundbreaking work.

Butler began his campaigning and advocacy work in 1982, immediately following the death of his friend and colleague Terry Higgins, setting up the Terrence Higgins Trust alongside Rupert Whitaker.

“We are heartbroken to lose him so suddenly” – Martyn Butler OBE’s brother Guy Hewett on the death of the Terrence Higgins Trust co-founder

Guy Hewett, Butler’s brother, honoured his sibling’s legacy in a news release: “Martyn was first a son and brother, that is how we will remember him. We are heartbroken to lose him so suddenly but full of pride for all he achieved,” he said.

Butler supported Terrence Higgins Trust and LGBT rights for five decades. A major achievement was creating the first AIDS helpline using his home phone in 1983.

“He saw it as a duty to inform the country, and in particular the gay community, of what little information there was on HIV and AIDS in the early 1980s,” Hewett continued.

“Grief is the terrible price of love, but we know his legacy lives on” – Hewett honouring Butler’s work for HIV/AIDS awareness

“He took great joy in seeing what Terrence Higgins Trust has become and stayed involved to the very end. Grief is the terrible price of love, but we know his legacy lives on,” he added.

In June 2022, Butler was awarded an OBE and the Rainbow Honours Lifetime Achievement Award, as well as an Attitude Pride Award for his work as an LGBTQ+ hero.

Gareth ‘Alfie’ Thomas CBE, former captain of the British Lions and Terrence Higgins Trust patron, said: “Martyn Butler founding Terrence Higgins Trust brought a distinctly Welsh feel to everything done by the organisation, dedicated to a fellow Welshman.”

“He was a trailblazer who stuck at the cause of supporting people living with HIV” – Terrence Higgins Trust patron Gareth ‘Alfie’ Thomas on the death of Butler

Thomas added: “He was a trailblazer who stuck at the cause of supporting people living with HIV over five decades. I will not forget his smile, and we continue the fight in his memory.”

Born and raised in Newport, Wales, Butler moved to London in the 1970s at age 16 to pursue a career in the entertainment and cinema industries. In a full-circle moment, his story was featured in Russell T Davies’s BBC drama It’s A Sin.

Wes Streeting MP, secretary of state for health and social care, spoke about continuing to champion his work: “As Health Secretary, it was my privilege to be part of his fifth decade of championing HIV prevention, support and remembrance. We are all forever in his debt, and his legacy lives on.”

“He was due to speak at a Terrence Higgins Trust event this coming Friday” – Richard Angell on Butler’s sudden passing

Chief executive of Terrence Higgins Trust, Richard Angell OBE, said he was “heartbroken” by the news: “His death comes as a shock to many of us: he was due to speak at a Terrence Higgins Trust event this coming Friday.”

“Terrence Higgins Trust literally wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Martyn. When it came to the organisation and people living with HIV, nothing was too much trouble for him,” he continued.

“From our first fundraiser, speaking engagement and leaflet, to marching at Cardiff Pride, unveiling Terry Higgins’s blue plaque in Haverfordwest and talking to media, Martyn has walked with us every step of the way. He will be missed by the Terrence Higgins Trust family, his mother, siblings and the friends lucky enough to spend time with him.”

“He was determined, spirited and never took no for an answer” – Richard Angell remembering Butler

On a final note, he penned: “He was determined, spirited and never took no for an answer. Kind to a fault, he was also brave – giving his home phone number as the first AIDS helpline in 1983 – and caring, an inspiration to other deaf people everywhere. He will be sorely missed.”

Martyn Butler is remembered as a pioneering LGBTQ+ figure who dedicated his life to HIV/AIDS awareness. Attitude’s condolences go out to his friends, family and colleagues as we continue to remember his life-changing work.