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Following on from the previous posting of one of my short stories “A change is yet to come” for IDAHOBIT last year, I’ve written another short story, A Tainted Love for UK LGBT+ History Month. Inspired by the critically-acclaimed and record-breaking TV series It’s A Sin, A Tainted Love is set in Manchester in 1988, telling the story of a British-born Chinese teenager who juggles his identity as British and Chinese as well as being gay, and the troubles he encounters as the latter two.

The story deals with themes such as the AIDS pandemic, gay life in 1980s Britain, cultural identity, Chinese immigrant life, and racial prejudice. Like It’s A Sin, A Tainted Love’s ironic title is a reference to Soft Cell’s version of the classic song, highlighting the stigma revolving around homosexuality in those days.

Remember, UK LGBT+ History Month aims to educate and remind people about the plight and fight LGBT+ people have faced in the country and show how far they’ve come in terms of rights and freedom. However, it should also help make history as it continues to strive for a better, safer, and more inclusive and tolerant future for them.

Again, if you enjoyed reading A Tainted Love please like and comment as well as share it with family and friends. And if you want to read more of my short stories, do let me know and I will try and write and post more of them! Thank you.