From the Archives
NMRD Programme of the Month: February 2021
Roller derby is a grassroots sport which is built, developed, promoted, and fundraised by the players and supporters. This DIY attitude has fostered a very welcoming, inclusive, and diverse community. LGBT+ rights are supported and fought for within this sport and the LGBT+ community have found a home in roller derby, which supports their sexuality and genders.
NMRD Programme of the Month: January 2021
As January sees Rabbie Burns day celebrated across Scotland, this programme seems a perfect fit for January’s object of the month. This particular bout is named after the fishnet rash that players often get from the viciousness and friction in the game.
NMRD Object of the Month: December
Tis the season to be jolly and while 2020 hasn’t been the year that anyone wished for, we here at GWL hope you have a lovely festive season (whilst sticking within the rules of course!) and lang may your lum reek!
NMRD Object of the Month: November
There are over 20 leagues in Scotland alone, and Scotland has partaken in three World Cups. In the 2015 British Championships, Glasgow Roller Derby won the top spot with Edinburgh’s Auld Reekie Roller Girls coming in second.
NMRD Object of the Month: October
The players really put their blood, sweat, and tears into roller derby – and not just on the track. The publication showcases the very creative and artistic illustrations, photography, graphic designs, and articles from members of the roller derby community.
NMRD Object of the Month: September
Roller Derby dismantles what it means to be ‘feminine’. It mixes adrenaline and ferocity with the provocative. Often, players names are derived from pop-culture references and the bouts are no different. This specific programme draws from the classic romantic genre Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë.
NMRD Object of the Month: Roller Derby Bout Programme
Roller Derby was born from humble beginnings back in 1933 by Leo Seltzer. As he scribbled down rules on a table cloth in a restaurant in Chicago, he envisioned both men and women competing in a marathon type race – a race of stamina and speed. Initially roller derby was not a rough contact sport and was more similar to the dance marathons that were popping up at the time. Popularity for the game increased during 1930s depression era and it payed relatively well with good benefits. But for women, it was something more. It was a chance to to see women compete in equal measure to men in a sport.
NMRD Object of the Month: Roller Derby Bout Programme
In response to the increasing brutality of the sport, players wear helmets, knee pads, elbow pads, and wrist guards to help minimise injury. Players show off their track rash and bruises proudly as it has become a huge part of the sporting culture.
NMRD Object of the Month: Glasgow Roller Derby vs Vagine Regime Bout Programme
At its most base roots, roller derby has gender and LGBT+ policies that are the most progressive in any sport. It is a grassroots sport that welcomes all identities. The Vagine Regime is a community within this sport that has taken off and spread all across the world, from North America, to the U.K., and to Australia.
Is Pride A Protest?
Gender studies placement student Grace reflects on LGBTQ pride. It is impossible to read through the Lespop files without gaining an understanding of the fact that daily existence was often […]