Every year in February the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender History Month takes place all over the UK, celebrating the lives and achievements of our community. Encouraging everyone to see diversity and cultural pluralism as positive forces, each year has a different overall theme and 2014 is dedicated to ‘music’. QX decided to discover what events are going on around our fair, vibrant city of London…
CAMDEN & ISLINGTON
Camden’s LGBT History Month programme is the largest in the world and has more than fifty events, most of them free to attend. The main theme is ‘music’, but it also crosses the genres of film, poetry, science, biography and art. There will be films about queer musical heritage at the British Museum and they will explore old and new with a concert by Transpose featuring music by Tchaikovsky, a gay man whose heritage is being washed out by powerful figures in Russia. In Islington there will be an event dedicated to the life of Magnus Hirschfeld, one of the movement’s founding fathers, amongst many other highlights. See ‘Dates for Your Diary’ for four of the biggest you won’t want to miss.
Nigel Harris, Acting Director of the Camden LGBT Forum, said: ‘We hope that as many QX readers as possible can get involved with the world’s largest programme of events for LGBT History Month. This year Camden and Islington LGBT History Month invites LGBT people and their allies from all over the UK – with people attending from the USA and Japan, the attendance is sure to be as diverse as our programme!’
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Loudest Whispers V
Conference Centre, St Pancras Hospital, 4 St Pancras Way, NW1 0PE
Opening launch: Friday 7th February, 5.30pm hosted by Mzz Kimberley featuring Earl Grey.
One of the largest outsider art projects in the UK, featuring over thirty new and local LGBT artists
A Question of Criticism: a talk by Prof. Bryce Morrison
Committee Room 1, Islington Town Hall, Upper Street, N1 2UD
Thursday 6th February, 6.30pm-8pm.
A discussion on music criticism with one for the world’s top critics, Professor Bryce Morrison.
Jonathan Kemp: ‘The Penetrated Male’
Islington Museum, 245 St John Street, EC1V 4NB
Tuesday 18th February, 6.30-8pm.
Dr Jonathan Kemp reads from and discusses his latest book ‘The Penetrated Male’, an exploration of the representation of the penetrated male body in literature.
‘The Glamour Factory’ – Closing Party Extravaganza
Camden Centre, Judd Street, WC1H 9JE
Friday 28th February, 8pm-1am.
Dress wildly or as your favourite queer music hero with DJs Jop Pop, Sadie Lee and Jonathan Kemp. Hosted by Bird la Bird. Plus, a fashion show, dance lessons, wine tasting, walking poetry, art and film.
A SELECTION OF EVENTS AROUND THE CITY
Paradise Press Book Launch
Canada Water Library, Surrey Quays Road, SE16 7AR
Tuesday 4th February, 7pm. www.paradisepress.org.uk
An introduction to the history of Paradise Press and the Gay Authors Workshop with the launch of two new titles: ‘Nothing Stays the Same’ by lesbian author Elizabeth Lister and ‘Best of Gazebo’, a selection from the in house short-story journal Gazebo.
The Ageing Queer Populations of London
The Boardroom, 309 Regent Street, W1B 2HW
Monday 17th February, 7pm.
This panel discussion will explore the challenges, opportunities and difficulties facing London’s ageing queer populations – how do older gay people experience London and how do they read it differently? Speakers for the event include Kate Hancock (Opening Doors, London), Dr. Nicola Humberstone and others.
LGBTQ Historical Tour Soho
Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, W1D 3NE
Sunday 9th February, 2pm-3.45pm. £10 (£5 concs).
In partnership with the Rainbow Jews oral history and archive project and The Jewish Museum London adding additional content to compliment the current tour, highlighting LGBTQ Jewish heritage in Soho, as well as Soho’s broader Jewish community.
The Rainbow Intersection: A Dialogue About Race, Culture and Sexuality
The Anatomy Lecture Theatre, King’s Building, Strand Campus, WC2R 2LS
Friday 21st February, 6.30-9.30pm.
The award winning The Rainbow Intersection – a dialogue about Race, Culture and Sexuality, is back with: ‘Does it really get better? – Intergenerational Dialogue’. Author and comedian Vg Lee will host the panel discussion and debate. Details of the panel coming soon.
Switchboard @ 40 – celebrating 40 years of the LLGS helpline, a round table discussion
RADA Studios, 16 Chenies Street, WC1E 7EX
Friday 21st February, 7-10pm. www.llgs.org.uk/tickets
Celebrating 40 years of the helpline in a round table discussion with chair Julian Hows and joined by Rebecca Swenson, Lisa Power, Tom Robinson and many others to discuss the LLGS influence and aid over the years.
Queer Technology – Today and Tomorrow
56 Southwark Bridge Road, SE1 0AS
Wednesday 27th February, 7-9pm.
A series of talks about how the LGBT community have adapted new technologies to support community from IRCQ, through social networks and what the future holds.
• To find out more about these and other events on around London during LGBT History Month 2014 visit www.lgbthistorymonth.org.uk
