Paul Patrick died on 22 May 2008 after a long battle with a chronic lung condition. He was working on Biting the hand that feeds me!, his autobiography.

In 1974, he co-founded the Gay Teachers’ Group (Schools Out since 1981) and was its secretary until 1982. He was the first teacher in the UK to come out to parents and pupils and retain their job, and went on to be promoted. He then became the first single gay man to be allowed to foster a young heterosexual male, one of his pupils.

In his work, he addressed the International Conference of Teachers of English, been the UK representative at an international conference held in Finland on the development of lesbian and gay issues in the curriculum, and been a member of the National Union of Teachers.

In 2002 he became the Co-chair of Schools Out together with Sue Sanders. He also became the Equal Opportunities Officer of the National Union of Teachers - Lancashire Division and a member of the NUT’s LGBT Working Party.

Since 2004, he was a member of the Steering Group of the LGBT History Month (UK) for which, together with a team of teachers, he created and veted lessons and assembly suggestions. He also toured the country promoting LGBT History Month to a wide range of groups and organisations.