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out and about
In April 1992, OutRage! members dropped their trousers in their “Bend Over For Your Member” demonstration outside Parliament. ⁠They were protesting over the age of consent as, in 1992, UK laws treated consensual sex between gay men under 21 as a criminal offence. The age was then lowered to 18 in 1994 before finally being lowered to 16 as part of the Sexual Offences Act of 2000.⁠ Photo: Bishopsgate Institute, Gordon Rainsford Archive

Out and About!: Archiving LGBTQ+ History

As part of LGBTQ+ History Month in conjunction with the Barbican’s 40th Birthday, Bishopsgate Institute will be staging a take-over of The Curve at The Barbican with an archive installation of objects, ephemera and media highlighting 40 moments and stories in London’s LGBTQ+ history.

Bishopsgate Institute has been collecting the lived experiences of everyday people for over a century, and their unique special collections and archives present the stories of individuals, collectives and organisations who fought for social, political, and cultural change.

The archive installation includes items documenting areas of pride, protest, performance and art; from the gay rights movement to the everyday celebrations and struggles of LGBTQ+ Londoners.

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 The installation will be accompanied by a programme of informal talks and conversations hosted inside the gallery by the individuals whose stories are on display.

In response to the exhibition, a group of Young Creatives will create new creative work as part of a free programme that will see the group engage with archives, collections and LGBTQ+ themes, unveiled at a Young Barbican Night on 17 March. Also, Barbican Cinema will present a rare screening of the landmark gay sex ed documentary, The Gay Man’s Guide to Safer Sex (UK, 1992, dir David Lewis) on 1 March followed by a ScreenTalk with producer Tony Carne and film curator Selina Robinson, who will discuss the film’s legacy.

Out and About!: Archiving LGBTQ+ History at Bishopsgate Institute
Mon 28 Feb – Mon 21 Mar 2022, The Curve

The Gay Man’s Guide to Safer Sex (18) + ScreenTalk with producer Tony Carne and film curator Selina Robinson (UK 1992, 50 mins)
Tues 1 Mar, Cinema 2, 8.30pm

To complement the Out and About! Archiving LGBTQ+ history at Bishopsgate Institution exhibition in The Curve, Cinema will show a rare screening of the landmark gay sex ed documentary, The Gay Man’s Guide to Safer Sex, to mark its 30th anniversary. Made in association with the Terrence Higgins Trust, when the age of consent for gay and bi men was 21, The Gay Man’s Guide to Safer Sex was a vital sex educational doc that offered safe sex advice (which had been absent from information communicated by Margaret Thatcher’s government) in an artistic and unashamedly erotic piece of cinema. This film was filmed for a home video audience and the picture and audio quality reflect the time it was made.

Bishopsgate Institute
Black Gay Men’s Conference: On 31st October 1987, the UK saw its first ever national conference of black gay men. Under the title “In This Our Lives”, the event focused on black lesbian and gay history, fears and prejudice within the black community, spirituality, bisexuality and health issues. Organised by the London Black Lesbian and Gay Centre, it was held at Hampden Community Centre in North London and was attended by men from across the UK including Manchester, Leeds, Leicester and Bristol. Photo credit: LGBTQ+ Archives, Bishopsgate Institute
Bishopsgate Institute
London Trans Pride 26th June 2021. Attendee at London Trans Pride hods their sign high and proud, 26 June 2021 Photo credit: Angela Christofilou Archive, Bishopsgate Institute
Bishopsgate Institute
Flyers from LGBTQ+ club nights dating from the 1980s onwards including GAY, Popstarz, Heaven, and many more Photo credit: Square Peg/Brian Robertson Archive, Bishopsgate Institute

 

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