Friends of Dorothy Society

The Friends of Dorothy Society (fods)
Bellringing Society
Founded 1991
Founder John Paul Adams
Headquarters UK based
Website www.thefods.info

The Friends of Dorothy Society (commonly abbreviated "fods") is a bell ringing society for LGBT people and their friends. The society is based in the United Kingdom but has members throughout the world; particularly in the United States of America and Australia.

The Society takes its name from the euphemism Friend of Dorothy, meaning gay man.

History

The society started following a notice placed in The Ringing World (a weekly publication for bell ringers) in May 1991. The notice aimed to assemble a band to ring for the London Pride Festival that year.

A number of people responded to the notice and the bells of St. Martin in the Fields, Trafalgar Square were rung for that year’s parade.

Tours

The society holds a spring tour and an autumn tour each year. The first tour was to Bristol in October 1991. Since then, members of the society have toured many cities throughout the United Kingdom. The first international tour was held in May 2006 when members visited Washington DC.

The Society's Tours
Year Date Location
1991 11-13 Oct Bath & Bristol
1992 28 Feb - 1 Mar Manchester
1992 20-22 Nov Brighton
1993 26-28 Feb Nottingham
1994 25-27 Feb London
1994 28-30 Oct Newcastle
1995 27-29 Oct Blackpool
1996 24 Feb Basingstoke
1996 25-27 Oct York
1997 21-23 Feb Manchester
1997 25-26 Oct Birmingham
1998 Oct Gloucester
1999 Oct Liverpool
2000 26 Feb Petersfield
2000 27-29 Oct Newcastle
2001 2-4 Mar Cardiff
2001 19-21 Oct Leeds
2002 9-11 Feb Northern Ireland
2002 18-20 Oct Birmingham
2003 7-9 Feb Southampton
2003 17-19 Oct York
2004 27-29 Feb Shrewsbury
2004 15-17 Oct Edinburgh
2004 19-20 Nov Leicester
2005 4 - 6 Mar Coventry
2005 21-23 Oct Canterbury
2006 10-12 Feb Nottingham
2006 25 May - 4 Jun Washington DC, Philadelphia & New York
2006 20-22 Oct Exeter
2007 23-25 Feb Manchester
2007 26–28 May Boston MA, USA
2007 28-30 Sep Oxford
2008 22-24 Feb Reading
2008 16-19 Oct Dublin
2009 27 Feb-1 Mar Bristol
2009 25-27 Sep Liverpool
2010 19-21 Feb Worcester
2010 10-12 Sep Cambridge
2011 18-20 Feb Leeds
2011 14-16 Oct London

References

    Today

    The society’s membership is ever-increasing. Peals are rung several times each year. There are annual spring and autumn tours and the society rings for London Pride and Brighton Pride.

    External links

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