Terrence Higgins Trust CEO: Inside my meeting with Keir Starmer on chemsex, suicide and gay men’s mental health (EXCLUSIVE)
"My fear was misplaced. Far from awkward, it was fascinating," writes Angell
When meeting the prime minister in his home yesterday, the mental health crisis in the gay community was top of my mind. On my lips were the 2026 figures from the Office of National Statistics. They are startling. Gay, lesbian and bisexual people are more than twice as likely to commit suicide, twice as likely to die of alcohol-related deaths and nearly three times more likely to die from a drug-related death compared to straight people. Figures for the trans community are likely to even worse.
This is not a surprise for those who work with the community closely, but this reality visibly moved Keir Starmer.
Speaking about chemsex: the canary in the coal mine with Keir Starmer
Fresh from a particularly heated PMQs, and between calls with world leaders, the PM joined a LGBT civil society roundtable secured by Stonewall and chaired by Equality Minister Olivia Bailey. He listened attentively as I explained that the canary in the coal mine for this issue has long been the phenomenon of chemsex – the use of crystal meth and/or GHB/GBL alongside sex or sex events.
I am not ashamed to say that there was some trepidation when describing how ‘Tina’ and ‘G’ can lead to best sex of your life but is inevitably followed but the harrowing desire to repeat the euphoria. A high that will never come again. A low that some gay and queer men will never recover from.
In 2023, three people died from chemsex-related issues every month
ITV News found that in 2023 three people died from chemsex-related issues every month in London and at least one emergency call per day is linked to chemsex drugs. But little data exists outside the capital.
I pulled back from sharing my worries about the abuse in these setting and sharing how I know of someone who writes in black marker ‘if asleep, don’t fuck’ on another friend’s back and torso ahead of a weekend chill out. But I think the gravity of the situation was clear.
My fear was misplaced. Far from awkward, it was fascinating.
Starmer’s hopes for the future of chemsex
Starmer not only listened attentively, he took copious notes. He was quick to say that the government has started the new year agreeing to a Sexual Health Framework, the first since Labour was in office two decades ago. His hopes are that this provides a fresh opportunity for the government to address this issue face on, urged me to carry on raising chemsex with parliamentarians and officials and invited me to get involved in shaping the plan.
He does not need to ask twice. Terrence Higgins Trust, the organisation I am honoured to lead, runs chemsex.co.uk to help people reflect on their chems use and reach out for help if they want it. London Friend, LGBT Foundation, Controlling Chemsex and LGBT HERO each have their own initiatives. I know they are champing at the bit to shape this plan.
There is an emergency on our watch. The alarm has been sounded.
Richard Angell OBE is chief executive of Terrence Higgins Trust. To learn more about Richard and the team’s work, check out the organisation’s official website.
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