Patrick Strudwick
Patrick Strudwick (born 1977) is a British journalist, columnist, broadcaster and activist.
Early life
Strudwick was educated at Trinity College of Music and the University of Manchester.
Journalism career
Strudwick writes for a variety of newspapers and magazines, including The Observer, The Times, The Guardian, The Independent, Gay Times and Attitude. He is best known for writing about gay issues, health and music, and for interviewing celebrities.
From 2002–2008 he was a senior contributing editor and columnist at Attitude, before moving to Gay Times where he is currently a contributing editor and political columnist.
In February 2010, Strudwick published "The Ex-Gay Files: The Bizarre World of Gay-to-Straight Conversion" in The Independent, chronicling a year of undercover investigation of conversion therapy: therapists – some operating within the British National Health Service – claiming to be able to "convert" gays and lesbians to heterosexuality . Following the publication of the article and the outrage it provoked around the world, Strudwick started the Stop Conversion Therapy Taskforce (SCOTT). SCOTT aims to eradicate the attempts by therapists, psychiatrists and religious groups to "cure" gay people.
Following Strudwick's investigation the British Medical Association passed a motion condemning attempts by psychotherapists and psychiatrists to change a patient's sexual orientation, and calling on the National Health Service to investigate instances where they may have inadvertently paid for such "treatment".
He was named 11th most influential gay person in Britain by the Independent on Sunday's annual Rainbow List in 2014.
Broadcasting
Strudwick is a regular on live discussion programmes for television and radio. He has appeared on BBC News, Sky News, ITN, Radio 4's The Moral Maze, Radio 2's Jeremy Vine show, Radio 5's Stephen Nolan show, Richard and Judy and RTÉ Radio 1.
Awards
- Journalist of the Year at the Stonewall Awards 2010
- Highly Commended, Journalist of the Year, at the Mind Awards 2010
- Winner of the Best National Newspaper Feature at the Guild of Health Writers Awards 2010
- British winner of the EU Journalist Award 2010
Interviews
His interviews with celebrities include Björk, Grace Jones, Jennifer Lopez, k.d. lang, Alan Cumming, Graham Norton, Julian Clary, Simon Cowell, Anne Robinson, Girls Aloud, Aura Urziceanu, Lily Allen, Henry Badenhorst, Alan Duncan, Alicia Keys, Jerry Hall, Jordan, Bat for Lashes, Marianne Faithfull, Boy George, Estelle, Preston and Duffy.
References
1. The Observer (28 June 2009) ( 2. The Guardian (20 October 2009) 3. The Guardian (8 October 2009) 4. The Times (4 November 2009) 5. The Times (2 June 2009) 6. The Times (8 June 2009) 7. The Guardian (2 November 2009) 8. The Guardian (21 October 2009)