life lessons
MICHAEL CASHMAN
Member of the House of Lords and co-founder of Stonewall
As told to Thomas Stichbury Images Nikki Powell
Nobody can accuse Michael Cashman of having lived his life quietly – far from it. As Colin in EastEnders, the ex-actor famously puckered up for the first gay kiss in British soap history and weathered the ensuing storm from the toxic tabloid press. Michael made even more noise as an LGBTQ rights activist when he co-founded Stonewall alongside Ian McKellen. Moving into politics, he is currently a member of the House of Lords, after resigning from the Labour Party last year. Now 69, Michael has penned a memoir, One of Them: From Albert Square to Parliament Square (Bloomsbury, out now), reflecting on his life’s highs and lows, including the loss of his long-term partner, fellow activist Paul Cottingham.