As LGBTQ+ History Month drew to a close at the beginning of this week. We are looking back through some of the wonderful celebrations of queer history that took place this month while also delving into some of our LGBTQ+ history in South London.
Many young queer folk have little knowledge of the realities of life that previous generations of queer folk had to go through to create the queer community that flourishes in London today. This month is an amazing opportunity for young LGBTQ+ people to learn and celebrate these people and changes!
Things have improved but there is still a long way to go and this month is has been an important tool in reflecting on where we’ve come from and what we still have to do to uplift and improve the lives of all queer folk. The events that took place this month have been both a celebration of the queer communities of South London as well explorations of the queer experience here.
LGBTQ+ History Month Events
Lambeth Libraries were the most active group during LGBTQ+ History Month, running a litany of brilliant celebratory, educational, and radically activist events. You can check out the full itinerary they ran here, but we are going to have a quick look through some of the highlights of their programme.
At Clapham Library there was a screening of the Rebel Dykes, a seminal film exploring the lesbian subculture in London during the 80s. This was followed by a virtual event, hosted by Lambeth Libraries, called Absolutely Proud: Europride 1992 - featuring the lead of Rebel Dykes and several other speakers about the celebration of pride that drew people from all over Europe to Brixton, how it came to be, despite profound homophobia, and what it was like to be a part of it.
On the 8th, Brixton Library was the venue for the opening of Photovoice: a photographic exhibition exploring the effects of covid-19 on local queer people of colour. Queer Alphabet Soup, an evening of readings, poetry, and performances from queer creatives, returned to the Tate South Lambeth Library in Vauxhall. As well as this, there were several book readings, discussions, and much more from Lambeth Libraries this month!
The Gay Liberation Front marked the beginning of their 52nd year of activism, and the 50th anniversary of the first pride march in London, with their first meet-up of year in South London. They have always been and continue to be a radical organisation dedicated to fighting for the freedoms of all queer folk. Towards the start of the month they invited people to come together at the London LGBTQ+ Community Centre, close to Blackfriars Bridge on Hopton Street. The relatively new venue itself is a testament to the prominence and importance of the queer community in South London. Events are frequently run there on everything from creativity, support, and activism!
BFI Flare
The creative arts have often been an important medium for queer folk to express themselves. Film, in particular, has been a major way that people learn about and connect with the queer community. Many queer productions are independently produced and often struggle to get the same recognition as others. Despite this, stories and films from queer creatives hold great significance to many people and have had great influence on other filmmakers.
Based on the Southbank, the British Film Institute (known as BFI) is a major institution within film, particularly in Britain. They have also been brilliant champions of queer film. This is evident through their longstanding BFI Flare exhibition, an annual celebration of queer film. Each spring they showcase multiple premieres alongside a wide variety of other queer stories. This Spring marks the 36th BFI Flare. During it, there will be 6 world premieres, 56 full feature films and 84 short films that originate from 42 different countries. It is a wonderful celebration of queer folk from all around the world in South London.
The Royal Vauxhall Tavern
Despite the gentrification of much of Vauxhall and the surrounding areas, The Royal Vauxhall Tavern and all of the history within it still stand strong. It is South London’s oldest surviving queer venue. The site was built in 1865 but it was in the 1980s when it became an LGBTQ+ space with regular performances and cabaret. It also pivotal in one of the queer community’s biggest bits of modern folklore. Princess Diana, a queer icon for the awareness she raised about HIV/Aids, supposedly snuck into a queer venue in disguise with the legend Freddie Mercury - and the Royal Vauxhall Tavern was the reported venue for their caper!
Over the years, it has garnered a reputation not just in London but across the world as one of the best, most intimate queer venues with daily performances of everything from stand-up comedy to musicals, via drag and club nights! To this day it regularly sits atop lists of the best cabaret and LGBTQ+ venues! They are a bastion of the queer community in South London and have created a space for people across every area of the LGBTQ+ community!
Inclusive Sport
London is a city that is passionate about football, and that extends to many in the queer community. London is home to an inclusive football league, called the London Unity League, that serves as a space for all people to enjoy football regardless of their sexuality or gender. There are two sides from South East London that take part in the LUL, and both of them are pioneers. In 2017 Bexley Invicta became Charlton Invicta, creating the first inclusive side officially affiliated with a professional football club: Charlton Athletic.
A few years later they were joined by London Romans who moved South of the river to Bermondsey as they affiliated with Millwall FC to become Millwall Romans. Both sides celebrated LGBTQ+ History Month by participating in the Football v Homophobia Month of Action! This included dedicating matches to FvH, highlighting the month on social media, and representing South London on their travels as Charlton Invicta played away in Dublin! Despite the intense rivalry between the two professional sides, Invicta and Romans share a strong, competitive relationship. Away from the spotlight that February brings, both sides continually strive to make football a more inclusive environment!
Though playing for one of these sides isn’t the only way queer folk in South London can engage with football! There are other inclusive football spaces across South London including Barnes Stormers in South West London and London Falcons in South London. As well as playing, most professional sides, including the big three in South London of Charlton, Millwall, and Crystal Palace, now have LGBTQ+ Supporters Groups where queer fans can come together for the love of their clubs! The number of these groups forming and officially connecting with their clubs is always on the rise and many connect both virtually and in-person! This means that if you’re a queer Addick abroad or a South Londoner who loves Liverpool, you can still connect with the other queer folk who share the love of your team!
Football isn’t the only sport where you can find queer inclusive spaces in South London. London Knights are the UK’s first gay and inclusive basketball team! Alongside them, there are inclusive groups and teams for many sports including rowing, swimming, dance, badminton, tennis, and athletics. If you want to get into sport within an inclusive environment or are looking for a queer community to become a part of, check out the Pride Sports Interactive Club Finder! It is a great way to find like-minded folk and a passion for sport!
A Reflection on LGBTQ+ History Month
This month has been packed with lots of great events exploring queer history, a history that is rich here in South London. Celebrating LGBTQ+ history is incredibly important because the work put in by previous generations of the queer community is what allows us to write our own history, as we continue to fight against injustice and strive to create a more inclusive city.
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