Today is the 290th anniversary of the first documented (but little-known) queer fightback. On December 28th, 1725 – 244 years before Stonewall – some 30 men resisted a raid by ‘Peace Officers’ on a Molly House in Hart Lane, Covent … Continue reading →
On December 17th, 1986, police raided the Royal Vauxhall Tavern, a long-established gay pub in South London. In the course of the raid, police seized boxes of amyl nitrite (“poppers”). The landlord, Pat McConnon, and various members of his staff … Continue reading →
The first few months of 1983 were dark days for the UK’s queer communities as the future of their only national newspaper Gay News looked increasingly precarious. Clearly something was about to change – but what? Gay News staff were … Continue reading →
To say that Conservative MP Geoffrey Dickens was homophobic would be a huge under-statement. As a leading figure in the Conservative Family Campaign he advocated the re-criminalisation of homosexuality and opposed any attempt to reduce the age of consent. Dickens … Continue reading →
Up until its demise in April 1983 the fortnightly newspaper Gay News was an essential lifeline to Britain’s gay and lesbian communities. Born from the radical politics of the early 70s Gay Liberation movement, it was regarded – by most … Continue reading →