Hosted by the brilliant Queer Britain - the first dedicated LGBTQ museum in the UK - join the author of 'Queer Footprints: A guide to Uncovering London's Fierce History', Dan Glass, and guest speakers, Mike Jackson - the co-founder of Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners; Tash Walker, co-chair at Switchboard - LGBT Helpline; Yvonne Taylor proud lesbian, media consultant and producer and Atalanta Kernick, activist and artist recently in the Rebel Dykes film.
ACCESSIBILITY - Entrance ramps and accessible toilets. Exhibition labels available in large print on request.
About Queer Footprints - A Guide to Uncovering London's Fierce History - pre-order here
This groundbreaking guide will take you through the city streets to uncover the scandalous, hilarious and empowering events of London's queerstory. Follow in the footprints of veteran activists, such as those who marched in London's first Pride parade in 1972 or witnessed the 1999 bombing of the Admiral Duncan pub in Soho.
Accompanied by a chorus of voices of both iconic and unsung legends of the movement, readers can walk through parts of East, West, South and North London, dipping into beautifully illustrated maps and extraordinary tales of LGBTQIA+ solidarity, protest and pride. The shadows of gentrification, policing, homophobia and racism are time and again resisted.
From the Brixton Fairies to Notting Hill Carnival to world-changing protests in Trafalgar Square, Rebel Dykes to drag queen communes, ‘Queer Footprints’ celebrates the hidden histories of struggle and joy. Including an accessibility guide and a list of these gems for your pleasure - queer spaces, clubs, networks and resources galore.
Praise for Queer Footprints - Published by Pluto Press
This electrifying book is an adventure book through London’s untold queer past. Every page is packed with inspiring, moving and downright hilarious secrets just itching to be uncovered - and with the riotously entertaining Dan Glass as your mincing tour guide - you’ll have an absolute blast as you do. A word of warning: after reading this, London will never seem the same again' - Sam Arbor, Film Director
About the Speakers
Tash Walker (she/they) is one of the hosts and producers of the award-winning podcast, ‘The Log Books’. She has recently stepped down as Co-Chair of LGBTQ+ charity, Switchboard in 2022 after 8 years on the Board. She is a founding director of Aunt Nell production company where she recently co-produced the critically acclaimed Black and Gay, Back in the Day. Tash has a special interest in using audio to bring to life many of the hidden and untold stories found in archives, and her poem ‘Dear Section 28’ was recently broadcast on Radio 4’s Short Cuts. She is also the Co-Founder and presenter of ‘Get In Her Ears’, a community organisation and monthly Soho Radio show that promotes women, non-binary and LGBTQ+ people in music.
Mike Jackson grew up during the late 1950’s and 60’s in Accrington, Lancashire - an industrial working-class town with cotton mills, coal mining and heavy engineering. He ‘came out’ as a 19 year old gay man in 1973 when the Age of Consent for gay men was 21. He was already a socialist but soon became an activist in LGBT struggles too, as well as having a wild time on the newly emerging gay scene, breaking the law as often as he could. In 1983, he applied to be a volunteer on London Lesbian and Gay Switchboard (as it was called back then) and was interviewed by a volunteer called Mark Ashton, who, like Mike, was not only a gay man but a socialist. The two quickly became close friends and in June 1984, three months into the Miners’ Strike, they took collection buckets on the 1984 London Pride march to raise funds for the striking miners’ families. What happened next is beautifully portrayed in the award winning movie ‘Pride’ (Pathé 2014).
The Thatcher government introduced Section 28 shortly after the strike and Mike got involved in the counter offensive against this pernicious piece of legislation. Since the movie was released, Mike has spoken at hundreds of events in support of the labour and trade union movement both in the UK and overseas. He is a core activist of the Orgreave Truth and Justice Campaign which is calling for a public inquiry into the police riot at Orgreave, Yorkshire on 18th June 1984. He is delighted to be supporting Dan in his work.
Yvonne Taylor (she/her) has been an out proud queer lesbian in London for 40 years. She works as a Cultural Events Producer, Media Consultant and promoter within the Community. Yvonne is very keen on inter generational projects - thus ensuring the LBGTQIA+ can share information and ideas.
Atalanta Kernick had a conservative army background and left to live at Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp as soon as possible, where she met many queer activists and came out after a lesbian summer of love! After receiving a sound education in direct action and how to be a dyke, she moved to the squatting community of Brixton in 1986. She has worked as an artist, lecturer, curator, cafe/gallery owner and is now a librarian in Tower Hamlets. Many years, demos and squats later, she is still an activist and appears in the 'Rebel Dykes' film. She also co-curated the large visual art exhibition ‘The Rebel Dykes Show’ in 2021 and is contributing a slideshow of photos from ‘Never Going Underground: Stop’.
Programme:
6:00 PM: doors open.
6.30 PM: panel talk and Q&A starts.
8:00 PM: guests free to have a self-led visit of the gallery space.
8.30pm PM: doors close.
Copies will be sold during the event.