Well now, after my unceremonious return from hostage, where I feel as if I was hardly even missed, LGBT history month has turned up, rearing it’s head, crying out “I am Queer, hear me ROAR!”. More politically based than Pride, it’s a good excuse to educate, reminisce (well, for those of us who can claim to have a substantial memory of these things) and frankly, in the uber-young case, amaze. 2 workshop using the Lesbian Treasure-trove have brought in 30 people and I have that strange feeling that the people who got the most out of it, where the boys. I was asked to “de-lesbianify” the workshop because it would turn the guys off, but considering just how much I know about gay male history (age of consent, history of Gay News, infamous court cases) I thought “Nah – I don’t think so Lads!” and made sure I included stories on fertility acts, adoption bills, lesbians abseiling into parliament etc.
They loved it. Like I knew they would.
I’m thinking of seeking compensation from the Library for all the damage that that Pink trunk has done to my shins, lugging it up and down stairs. It’s been living in my closet for the past 2 weeks (now isn’t that a metaphor) and it’s been quite interesting to pass over it while showing prospective flatmates around.
The Treasure-trove was put together by the LiPS youth group, the lesbian archive history group and by a series of workshop of random women who couldn’t come along regularly but wanted to contribute. I’m not sure what my favorite thing is in the trunk. It’s between the huge Hackney Lesbian Pride banner, who someone loved so much that they cut up their tracksuit bottoms to make, or the article dealing with a women who was outted at the age of 105 or maybe the 1st issue of “Gay News” which has the smiling face of Jimmy Savile on the front.
I would say that in response to Kay’s comment below about bubble-wrap on one of my feet that it’s what all the cool kids are wearing in Paris. She just wouldn’t understand what with being a blow in from Stranraer.
