Westminster are celebrating LGBT History Month with a unique exhibition.
Rare photos of Gay Pride marches in the 1970s, London’s first gay superclub Bang, and of legendary drag queen, singer and actor Divine are on display at Westminster City Council’s council offices in Victoria.
The council’s LGBTQ staff network drew on material from the Bishopsgate Institute and Westminster Archives.
The exhibition features the work of Gay News photographer Robert Workman, who famously captured imagery of the earliest Gay Pride marches in 1972 until the 1980s and other notable moments, including the opening of the Gay’s the Word bookshop in 1972 and protests against a store for sacking a queer employee in 1976.
Also featured are pictures from former editor of Gay News, Denis Lemon, and Ashley Joiner’s documentary Are You Proud, which celebrates the Pride movement and the historic achievements of LGBTQ campaigners and activists.
Cllr Ian Adams, LGBT+ Lead Member for Westminster City Council, said in a statement: “Our LGBT+ network has put together a fascinating collection of pictures and records documenting a period of intense social change and activism that started in the UK in the aftermath of New York’s Stonewall riots in 1969.
“The exhibition captures the diversity of our borough and the role Westminster, and Old Compton Street in particular, has played as a focus point for many forms of LGBT+ entertainment, expression and activism over the years.”
Visit https://www.westminster.gov.uk/arts-and-culture-events for more details.
Latest
