▁grand f athers ▁were ▁pre ach ers , ▁and ▁his ▁great - gre at - grand father , ▁James ▁McK ellen , ▁was ▁a ▁" str ict , ▁evangel ical ▁Protest ant ▁minister " ▁in ▁B ally men a , ▁County ▁An trim . ▁His ▁home ▁environment ▁was ▁strongly ▁Christian , ▁but ▁non - orth odox . ▁" My ▁up br ing ing ▁was ▁of ▁low ▁non con form ist ▁Christians ▁who ▁felt ▁that ▁you ▁led ▁the ▁Christian ▁life ▁in ▁part ▁by ▁behav ing ▁in ▁a ▁Christian ▁manner ▁to ▁everybody ▁you ▁met ." ▁When ▁he ▁was ▁ 1 2 , ▁his ▁mother ▁died ▁of ▁breast ▁cancer ; ▁his ▁father ▁died ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁ 2 4 . ▁After ▁his ▁coming ▁out ▁as ▁gay ▁to ▁his ▁ste pm other , ▁Glad ys ▁McK ellen , ▁who ▁was ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Relig ious ▁Society ▁of ▁Fri ends , ▁he ▁said , ▁" Not ▁only ▁was ▁she ▁not ▁faz ed , ▁but ▁as ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁a ▁society ▁which ▁declared ▁its ▁ind ifference ▁to ▁people ' s ▁sexual ity ▁years ▁back , ▁I ▁think ▁she ▁was ▁just ▁glad ▁for ▁my ▁sake ▁that ▁I ▁wasn ' t ▁lying ▁anymore ." ▁His ▁great - gre at - grand father ▁Robert ▁J . ▁Low es ▁was ▁an ▁activ ist ▁and ▁campaign er ▁in ▁the ▁ultimately ▁successful ▁campaign ▁for ▁a ▁Saturday ▁half - hol iday ▁in ▁Manchester , ▁the ▁for er un ner ▁to ▁the ▁modern ▁five - day ▁work ▁week , ▁thus ▁making ▁Low es ▁a ▁" grand