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# Gay in the 80s

A personal account of LGBT life in the 1980s in the UK, USA and Australia

## Sitemaps

- [XML Sitemap](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/sitemap.xml): Contains all public & indexable URLs for this website.

## Posts

- [Blog](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/blog/)
- [1982. Bookshop: Lavender Menace](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/09/1982-bookshop-lavender-menace/) - Lavender Menace bookshop opened on Forth Street, Edinburgh in 1982 as a development of earlier initiatives around both radical and LGBT bookselling. One of the two owners - Bob Orr - had previously worked in the First of May radical bookstore, which was effectively Edinburgh's main stockist of LGBT books in the late 70s. He
- [1981. Television: Something for the Boys](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2025/04/1981-television-something-for-the-boys/) - Some years before the British tabloids went into meltdown over two men kissing in the soap 'Eastenders', Scottish Television had two gay soldiers climbing into bed together! The STV series "House on the Hill" followed the fortunes of a large house in Glasgow, from the time it was built in the 19th century to the Some years before the British tabloid media went into meltdown over two men kissing on the soap EastEnders, Scottish Television had two gay soldiers climbing into bed together.
- [1986. Television: 'Two of Us'](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2018/06/1986-television-two-of-us/) - Two of Us was commissioned by the BBC in 1986 as part of its Scene TV series for schools and sixth form colleges. But the plans were quickly derailed by the increasingly rabid homophobia generated to justify Section 28. The tabloids were already obsessed with the notion that 'innocent children' were being subjected to ratepayer
- [1983. Television: St Elsewhere. 'AIDS and Comfort'](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/11/1983-television-st-elsewhere-aids-and-comfort/) - NBC's medical drama 'St Elsewhere' was one of the first US television series to explore the issue of AIDS, in its episode AIDS and Comfort. The story centres around an ostensibly heterosexual Boston politician who is admitted to St Elygius Hospital with a mysterious condition. Needless to say, it turns out to be AIDS and
- [1989: ACT UP UK first protests](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2019/02/feb-1989-act-up-uk-stage-first-protest/) - ACT UP UK's first demonstration occurred less than two years after their counterparts in the USA. Like their US counterparts, they specialised in non-violent, direct action to get their message across. To get the ball rolling, they began by picketing the AGM of drugs giant Wellcome in January 1989. The following month saw them outside
- [1989. ACT UP Disrupt Mass at St Patrick's Cathedral, New York.](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2019/12/1989-act-up-disrupt-mass-at-st-patricks-cathedral-new-york/) - On this day in 1989, AIDS activist group ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power) undertook one of their most controversial actions. In conjunction with the Women's Health Action and Mobilization (WHAM!) they picketed outside St Patrick's Cathedral but also took direct action inside. The protesters had given advance notice of their intentions, which prompted
- [1980s. Iran executes gays. Not a priority for Amnesty.](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/03/1980s-iran-executes-gays-not-a-priority-for-amnesty/) - Despite assuring the world that they would honour the UN Charter of Human Rights, Ayatollah Khomeini's fanatical regime wasted no time in abusing it from the second they came to power. Anyone perceived as a political opponent was imprisoned on a trumped up charge and, invariably, executed. But the fanaticism didn't stop there: men, women
- [The bigotry against bisexuals](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2019/10/the-bigotry-against-bisexuals/) - I have just read a rather depressing article about the formation of a new group in London - 'The LGB Alliance'. The absence of the 'T' is quite deliberate. The group has declared that Trans issues have nothing to do with lesbian, gay or bisexual people. Not only do I disagree with their stance, I
- [1986. HIV/AIDS: Terrence Higgins Trust. Night of a Thousand Frocks](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/06/1986-hivaids-terrence-higgins-trust-night-of-a-thousand-frocks/) - I have posted previously about the politics of drag and how my views changed immensely during the 80s. One of the factors in changing my opinion was the huge amount of support by drag performers for HIV/AIDS organisations and people with HIV/AIDS. My earliest experience of this was The Night of a Thousand Frocks, organised
- [1984. The trials of Gay's the Word.](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/10/1984-the-trials-of-gays-the-word/) - On 10th April 1984 Customs and Excise officers raided London's Gay's the Word bookshop and seized all their imported books. This was the start of so-called 'Operation Tiger'. The operation also included raids on the homes of the shop's directors and the retention of thousands of pounds worth of other imported books at their ports
- [1984. The man behind the 'Pits and Perverts' icon](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2015/07/1984-the-man-behind-the-pits-and-perverts-icon/) - If you've seen the movie Pride then you will have seen his work. If you've been anywhere near a member of Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners (past or present) you're likely to have seen his work. And if you watch the upcoming comedy series written by Little Britain's Matt Lucas you'll probably see his
- [The misguided myth of Patient Zero](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2022/03/the-misguided-myth-of-patient-zero/) - "For years, several successive editions of a top-selling medical dictionary [Mosby's Medical Dictionary] - a type of publication frequently considered to bear the ultimate imprimatus of authority - contained an entry for 'Patient Zero' which read: "an individual identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as the person who introduced the human
- [1985. Music: Dionne Warwick and Friends. That's What Friends Are For.](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/01/1985-music-dionne-warwick-and-friends-thats-what-friends-are-for/) - Dionne Warwick has been a long-time supporter of HIV/AIDS causes so it came as little surprise when she got Stevie Wonder, Elton John and Gladys Knight to join her in singing That's What Friends Are For. Released in 1985 it raised more than $3 million for the American Foundation for AIDS Research (AmFAR). Sadly, fate
- [1985. Gay Scene: London Black Lesbian and Gay Centre](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/03/1985-gay-scene-london-black-lesbian-and-gay-centre/) - London's Black Lesbian and Gay Centre was established to try and address some of the problems faced by black LGBT people. These included the overwhelmingly white nature of the 'mainstream' LGBT scene, racism both inside and outside the scene and the difficulties of coming out to families, who generally perceived homosexuality as a 'white' issue.
- [1986. Bowers v Hardwick. Upholding US anti-sodomy laws](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2021/07/1986-bowers-v-hardwick-upholding-us-anti-sodomy-laws/) - On 30th June 1986 the United States Supreme Court handed down its judgement in the Bowers v Hardwick case. It found in favour of Georgia Attorney General Michael J. Bowers. In so doing it validated not only Georgia's anti-sodomy law but the anti-sodomy laws of many other US states that had this antiquated piece
- [1980s. With friends like Michael Dukakis...](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/06/1980s-with-friends-like-michael-dukakis/) - The impact of Barack Obama's support for LGBT equality is being felt on many levels around the globe. It sends out a vital message to isolated LGBT people, young LGBT people and LGBT people living in oppressive regimes such as Iran and Russia. And, of course, it's triggering some long overdue legislation around the world
- [1981. Film: Watch Out, There's a Queer About!](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/06/1981-film-watch-out-theres-a-queer-about/) - Watch Out, There's a Thief About, was a well-known anti-crime slogan in the UK throughout the 1970's and 80's. It was fitting, then, that the Gay Video Project appropriated it for their project that documented the extent of police belligerence towards gays. Thirteen years after the 1967 Sexual Offences Act decriminalised homosexual sex between consenting
- [1989. Television: Out on Tuesday](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/10/1989-television-out-on-tuesday/) - Out on Tuesday was Channel Four's attempt at a queer lifestyle series in the 1980s. On New Year's Day 1983 it had screened a one-off, magazine style programme One in Five. Somewhat predictably, Conservative MPs were outraged by it. Nonetheless Channel Four persisted and produced a range of queer-themed programmes (covered in more detail here)
- [Perry Watkins: Army Homophobia, Queer Community Racism](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2021/03/perry-watkins-army-homophobia-queer-community-racism/) - Perry Watkins was 19-years old when he received his Army call-up papers in August 1967. It was the middle of the Vietnam War so, like to most other young American men, he didn't want to go. Watkins had been openly gay since he was a school student and made no exception when it came to
- [1987. Police plan to close London's gay pubs?](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2015/12/1987-police-londons-gay-pubs/) - 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 were then charged with "conspiracy to adminster noxious substances with intent to injure", under Section
- [1980s. 'The decade of the gay novel'](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/02/1980s-the-decade-of-the-gay-novel/) - In 1983, The Bookseller magazine - the trade publication for the UK book industry - declared that the 1980s would be 'the decade of the gay novel'. Certainly,in the early years of that decade there was considerable evidence to support the idea of a burgeoning gay and lesbian book market. Edmund White's Boys Own Story,
- [Pub: The Bell, Kings Cross, London](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2017/09/pub-bell-kings-cross-london/) - Guest blogger Rob Pateman remembers a legendary 80s London pub. The Bell - an alternative universe Kings Cross in the 1980s wasn’t the most salubrious location in London. Hub of the Tube and over ground network, it had a restless, edgy, energy; an undercurrent of danger that made most people pass through it as quickly
- [Movie: After 82](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2021/02/movie-after-82/) - I've written extensively in this blog and my book about the early days of HIV/AIDS. And with a new TV drama - It's a Sin - currently playing in various countries, there's been a renewed interest in that period. So it's timely that a documentary about the impact of HIV/AIDS in the UK has also
- [January 1984: Dan White paroled](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2017/01/january-1984-dan-white-paroled/) - In 1978 Dan White assassinated San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and out gay supervisor Harvey Mik. In January 1984 he was released from prison to serve the final year of his sentence on parole. David Hunt describes the response. In January 1984, five years after he gunned down San Francisco mayor George Moscone and openly
- [HIV/AIDS: 1987, BBC Documentary 'Remember Terry'](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2021/01/hiv-aids-1987-bbc-documentary-remember-terry/) - On December 18th 1987, the UK's BBC Two broadcast 'Remember Terry'. It was a documentary about the life - and ultimate death - of Terry Madeley, one of the first people in the UK to go public about their AIDS diagnosis. The programme followed Terry through the last 18 months or so of his life
- [1983. Gay Monopoly: A Celebration of Gay Life!](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2020/11/1983-gay-monopoly-a-celebration-of-gay-life/) - Monopoly first appeared in 1935 and since that time it’s makers have produced it in a variety of themes. Some of the more intriguing include an ABBA theme, a ‘007’ theme and a Klingon theme (I kid you not). It would seem almost inevitable then, that we’d see a gay version. And so we did
- [1987. First National Black Gay Men's Conference in UK](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2020/10/1987-first-national-black-gay-mens-conference-in-uk/) - On 31st October 1987, the UK saw its first ever national conference of Black gay men. Under the title In This Our Lives, participants considered a range of issues. These included Black Lesbian and Gay history, fears and prejudice within the Black community, spirituality, bisexuality and a range of health issues. Organised by the London
- [1984. Politics: Rugby Council decides to discriminate against LGBT people](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/01/1984-politics-rugby-council-decides-to-discriminate-against-lgbt-people/) - By the mid-80s, a number of UK Councils were considering the inclusion of 'sexual orientation' in their Equal Opportunities policies. At the same time, a number of other Councils still failed to see the point and, therefore, took no action at all. But for Conservative-led Rugby Council simply omitting sexual orientation from their Equal Opportunities
- [1983-85. Television: Gay Morning America](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2020/08/1983-85-television-gay-morning-america/) - For many of us, the television acronym GMA means either Good Morning Australia or Good Morning America. But from 1983-1985 there was another meaning - Gay Morning America. Gay Morning America was a weekly TV show that ran on public-access cable network in New York City. The first two seasons ran from 7.30-8.30 am on
- [1984. Lou Sheldon and the Traditional Values Coalition (TVC)](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2020/07/1984-lou-sheldon-and-the-traditional-values-coalition-tvc/) - Interesting to note that rabid homophobe Lou Sheldon chose Pride month to die. Sheldon spent the majority of his life peddling vile propaganda to block any advancement of queer people in the USA. In 1974 he campaigned against California's decriminalisation of consenting acts between adults in private. By 1977 he was the California Executive Director
- [HIV/AIDS: A Brief History of AZT - Part Two](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2020/06/hiv-aids-a-brief-history-of-azt-part-two/) - In my last post I outlined the clinical tests that led to the approval of AZT/Zidovudine as the first anti-HIV drug. What I want to do now is look at some of the non-clinical issues that surrounded the approval and use of the drug. I'm sure this list is far from exhaustive so I'm more
- [1980. Media: The New York Native](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/09/1980-media-the-new-york-native/) - The New York Native began publication in December 1980 as a fortnightly newspaper for that city's LGBT community. It's founders would undoubtedly have planned to reflect the community's diverse activities and interests in its columns. But it was its coverage of the AIDS crisis that made it memorable and, many have argued, ultimately led to
- [1982. Safer Sex: 'Play Fair'](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/08/1982-safer-sex-play-fair/) - In 1982 the San Francisco Order of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence produced what was to become a landmark document in the emerging AIDS crisis. Play Fair was probably the first safer sex material written by and for gay men. The brochure was probably also the first such document to use humour to put across
- [HIV/AIDS: A Brief History of AZT - Part One](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2020/05/hiv-aids-a-brief-history-of-azt-part-one/) - AZT (Azidothymidine a.k.a Zidovudine) was the first drug approved to target HIV. Consequently, it has a very special - and quite controversial - place in the history of HIV/AIDS. It's for this reason that I'm going to try and provide a brief overview of its development and its early days as the only antiviral drug
- [Television: 25th April 1983. BBC broadcasts 'Killer in the Village'](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2020/04/television-25th-april-1983-bbc-broadcasts-killer-in-the-village/) - Even though the first British AIDS death occurred in December 1981, it was some time before the British Press took any real interest in the disease. In the first quarter of 1983, the number of references to AIDS in the national Press ranged from one to 3, with less than 200 column centimetres being devoted
- [HIV/AIDS: The desperate race to find treatments](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2020/01/hiv-aids-the-desperate-race-to-find-treatments/) - Let me be clear that when I talk about a desperate race, I'm talking about that undertaken by people with HIV and AIDS, not drug companies. The first case of AIDS in the West was diagnosed in 1981: the first anti-viral treatment - AZT - was not available until 1987. In that intervening period we
- [1987. TV. AIDS: The Unheard Voices](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2019/11/1987-tv-aids-the-unheard-voices/) - On this day in 1987, the UK's Channel Four broadcast AIDS: The Unheard Voices, as one of it's Dispatches series. [You can watch the programme at the end of this post.] The documentary's main focus was Professor Peter Duesberg who was - and remains - an HIV sceptic. (He actually says in the programme, "I
- [1984-85. Media: AIDS and the British Press](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/01/1984-85-media-aids-and-the-british-press/) - At the end of 1984 I worked at the Terrence Higgins Trust - Britain's first national AIDS organisation. I began work there in September and things were incredibly quiet; we had only one telephone and it barely rang all day. Three months later we were receiving so many calls that we had to have another
- [1989. The Castro Sweep](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2016/03/1989-castro-sweep/) - Tensions between police and venue owners in San Francisco had been pretty much part of the LGBT scene in the period leading up to the 80s (for example, the ‘Gay-ola’ bribes of the 1960s and the White Night riots of 1979). However, the fallout from the latter events prompted a significant effort on the part
- [1984. Oliver Sipple, the President, politics and privacy](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2019/08/1984-oliver-sipple-the-president-politics-and-privacy/) - In 1984, the California Supreme Court dismissed Oliver Sipple's appeal in relation to his $15 million lawsuit against seven newspapers and 50 executives of news media organisations. It marked the end of a protracted and controversial legal battle that had linked everyone from US President Gerald Ford to queer activists like Harvey Milk. Sadly, it
- [1981: Dykes and Faggots Together (DAFT)](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2019/07/1981-dykes-and-faggots-together-daft/) - It probably seemed like a good idea at the time. Indeed, as I understand it, the decision to call the organisation 'DAFT' was, at least in part, motivated by the notion that members shouldn't take themselves too seriously. But it does seem that it quickly became a case of 'DAFT by name, DAFT by nature.'
- [1986. Newsagent ban forces Gay Times reprint](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2019/04/1986-newsagent-ban-forces-gay-times-reprint/) - In the 1980s, WH Smith was Britain's largest - and most homophobic - newsagent. Its outlets had seen numerous protests in the 70s as activists fought the company's ban on Gay News. The ban was eventually lifted and the 80s finally saw queer publications beginning to make an appearance on the shelves. But there was
- [1988: National Coming Out Day](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2019/03/1988-national-coming-out-day/) - Coming out has been a mainstay of queer politics since the birth of the modern Gay Liberation movement at Stonewall. In 1978, legendary activist Harvey Milk called for people to come out to demonstrate to supporters of anti-queer ordinances that it was their own brothers, sisters, sons and daughters that would be affected. In 1980,
- [1983. HIV/AIDS: 'Can We Talk?'](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2019/03/1983-hiv-aids-can-we-talk/) - In June 1983 - two years after the first case of AIDS was reported in the USA - I found myself on holiday in San Francisco. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision to visit a friend over there. (Indeed, so spur-of-the-moment that I managed to get there just two days after the massive 'Lesbian/Gay Freedom Day
- [1980s. HIV/AIDS: Why was AIDS called 'the gay plague'?](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/04/1980s-hivaids-why-was-aids-called-the-gay-plague/) - The early years of AIDS were a time of great fear and anxiety for gay men around the world.* The bulk of this was generated by the mysterious and lethal nature of this new condition. But there was another element that exacerbated the situation - the homophobia whipped up by irresponsible media. Central to this
- [1985. Greed and bigotry almost sabotage Mardi Gras](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2019/02/1985-greed-and-bigotry-almost-sabotage-mardi-gras/) - Sydney's Lesbian and Gay Mardi Gras has seen many a battle in its lifetime. It's baptism of fire in 1978 saw sustained police aggression and the arrest and assault of 53 men and women. And despite there being no arrests in 1979, tensions remained high - with an emergency bail fund on hand just in
- [How not to run an AIDS information programme. Part One: 1986.](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/07/how-not-to-run-an-aids-information-programme-part-one-1986/) - The first case of AIDS in Britain was reported in the British Medical Journal in December 1981. But it wasn't until March 16th, 1986 that the Department of Health placed its first 'public information' advertisements in British newspapers. I use the term 'public information' very loosely here because, in practice, it was a major disinformation
- [1985: Television. 'A Plague on You'](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2019/01/1985-television-a-plague-on-you/) - On 4th November 1985, the UK’s BBC2 broadcast “A Plague on You: AIDS, the Media and the Truth” as one of it’s ‘Open Space’ programmes. Open Space was a weekly series “which involves the public in making, shaping or influencing programmes on issues of social concern, which introduce new subjects or give different perspective on more familiar topics.”
- [January 1988. Opponents of Section 28 begin to organise.](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2018/01/january-1988-opponents-section-28-begin-organise/) - Section 28 of the UK's Local Government Bill was only added to that Bill on December 8th 1987. Yet, within a week, the newly-created Organisation for Lesbian and Gay Action (OLGA) had organised an 800-strong lobby of MPs at the Houses of Parliament. Shortly thereafter, OLGA organised a series of strategy meetings at Islington Town
- [1987. NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2018/11/1987-names-project-aids-memorial-quilt/) - The idea for an AIDS Quilt Project actually began in 1985 at the annual San Francisco candlelight parade. These had been held every year since 1979 to remember the assassinations of Harvey Milk and George Moscone in 1978. While planning the 1985 parade, activist Cleve Jones learned that more than a thousand San Franciscans had
- [1983. Sydney gay activists publicly declare they've broken the law.](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/07/1983-sydney-gay-activists-publicly-declare-theyve-broken-the-law/) - Despite the increasing visibility of lesbians and gay men across Australia from the late 70's onwards, the law was very slow to catch up. Homosexuality was not decriminalised in most Australian states until the 1980's, with some holding out until well into the 90's. In consequence, police were able to harass and arrest gay men
- [1987. Second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2018/10/1987-second-national-march-on-washington-for-lesbian-and-gay-rights/) - Given that the first National March on Washington had occured only months before Ronald Reagan was elected US President, it was little surprise that the demands of those marchers had not been met by the time of the Second March. But the failure to meet the original demands was only one of the triggers for
- [1989. Politics: Evangelist attempts 'Cleansing March' on Sydney's queer heartland](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/12/1989-politics-evangelist-attempts-cleansing-march-on-sydneys-queer-heartland/) - Australia's 'Reverend' Fred Nile has built a career out of homophobic opportunism. He is the man to whom the media could turn whenever they needed a 'controversial' sound-byte on topics such as decriminalisation, HIV/AIDS and anti-discrimination. For several years he topped up his profile with his annual stunt of a prayer meeting by the route
- [1980. 'Sexual deviant' challenges US Immigration](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/04/1980-sexual-deviant-challenges-us-immigration/) - As I prepared for my first visit to the USA in 1983, I remember having mixed feelings about what to put on my visa application form. I had been led to understand that, along with the question 'Are you now, or have you ever been a member of the Communist Party?', I would also be
- [1987. The last of 'The Body Politic'](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2018/09/1987-the-last-of-the-body-politic/) - Canada's The Body Politic was, like Britain's Gay News, born from the anger and energy of the early Gay Liberation movement. And, like Gay News, it had to face many battles during its lifetime. Produced in Toronto, by a collective largely made up of gay men, the first issue appeared on October 28th 1971. Prior
- [1989. Film: Looking for Langston](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2018/08/1989-film-looking-for-langston/) - Isaac Julien's 'breakthrough' movie focuses on black writer Langston Hughes and Harlem's Cotton Club to explore the issue of being black and gay from the 1920s to the present day. Eroticism runs throughout the film; from the scenes of physical intimacy to the inclusion of Robert Mapplethorpe's explicit photos of black men. And yet it
- [1984. Pub: The Fallen Angel, Islington, London.](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/09/1984-pub-the-fallen-angel-islington-london/) - For those of us who had come out into a provincial gay scene of small back bars tucked away in larger straight pubs, the great metropolis of London offered up far more positive and welcoming choices. Having arrived in autumn 1984, my own personal circuit consisted largely of the disco at the Bell Inn at
- [1983: Theatre: 'Anti Body'](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2018/07/1983-theatre-anti-body/) - Possibly the first play about AIDS, Anti Body was staged at London's Cockpit Theatre from 10th-22nd October 1983. Documenting the experience of William Davis - a gay man with AIDS - it preceded Larry Kramer's Normal Heart by two years and Noel Greig's Plague of Innocence by five. It was written by American author
- [1984. Pride Week almost renamed 'Not Just a Phase Week'](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2018/07/1984-pride-week-almost-renamed-not-just-a-phase-week/) - The early 80s was a turbulent period for London's Lesbian and Gay Pride Week (the only Lesbian and Gay Pride event in the entire country). It began in 1980, with police arresting men in drag on the absurd charge of 'possessing an offensive weapon' (see here for more details.) In 1981, the march was moved
- [1983. Eddie Murphy on "faggots" and AIDS](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2018/06/1983-eddie-murphy-on-faggots-and-aids/) - There is a theory about 'straight' men who go out of their way to make homophobic remarks. It says that they they're actually trying to convince themselves that they're not queer. Certainly Eddie Murphy's 1983 show Delirious was so viciously homophobic you can't help wondering what he was trying to prove. He opens with a
- [1980s. Media: Regional gay publications](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/12/1980s-media-regional-gay-publications/) - One area of LGBT history that I feel is often neglected is that of regional gay publications. Admittedly, I do have a bit of a biased view here given my own involvement in one such publication, Gay East Midlands. But, that fact notwithstanding, I do think these publications deserve some recognition and a greater understanding
- [May 23rd, 1988. Section 28. Lesbians invade BBC](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2018/05/may-23rd-1988-section-28-lesbians-invade-bbc/) - Section 28 of the Local Government Act passed into law on May 24th 1988. But Margaret Thatcher's Conservative government had under-estimated our communities' determination to resist this legislation at every possible opportunity. And so it was that, at 6 p.m. on May 23rd, four lesbians ran into the BBC News studios just as the Six
- [1981: Brisbane Festival of Gay Films](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2018/05/1981-brisbane-festival-of-gay-films/) - A couple of years ago someone posted a Comment on this blog asking, "if I lived in those times, would it have been possible to be happy as a gay male or not." I replied that it most certainly was, as we're a pretty resilient bunch. The 1981 Festival of Gay Films, in Brisbane, Australia
- [1989: The Surprising Life and Death of Billy Tipton](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2018/03/1989-the-surprising-life-and-death-of-billy-tipton/) - For the majority of his life, Billy Tipton was a successful jazz musician in the USA. He was also very much the family man. He had a number of long-term relationships with women and fostered three sons with one of them. But as his life went on, it all began to unravel. He separated from
- [1984. Divine:You think you're a man!](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/05/1984-divineyou-think-youre-a-man/) - Divine (born Harris Glenn Milstead) was the only son of wealthy, conservative Baptist parents.To say he rebelled against this background would be an understatement. He enjoyed hosting lavish parties (at his parents expense, since he didn't see the point of getting a job). At these he would dress up to imitate his favourite celebrity, Elizabeth
- [1988: First Mardi Gras float by people with AIDS?](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2018/03/1988-first-mardi-gras-float-by-people-with-aids/) - It's virtually impossible to establish when individual people living with AIDS (PLWAs) first marched in Sydney's Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras parade. My guess would be around 1985/86 as that's when we began to see significant numbers of people with AIDS in Sydney. But I'm pretty certain that the first organised group of people living
- [Section 28. Feb 20th 1988. Never Going Underground demo](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2018/02/section-28-feb-20th-1988-never-going-underground-demo/) - Today marks the 30th anniversary of another protest against Section 28 - the brilliant 'Never Going Underground' demonstration in Manchester, England. Conservative MPs and their friends in the media continued to make up poisonous lies against us to justify this homophobic legislation. Meanwhile, leaders of the national Labour Party sat on their hands, scared to
- [Happy Mardi Gras! 1989: 'I Am What I Am'](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2018/02/happy-mardi-gras-1989-i-am-what-i-am/) - This month Australia celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. The first one in 1978 ended in injuries and mass arrests when police attacked was had been a peaceful march. We've been through many things since then, not least the devastation wreaked by HIV/AIDS. https://youtu.be/zlpbYcYHVM4 But, throughout it all, we've
- [2nd February 1988: Lesbians abseil into House of Lords to protest Section 28](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2018/02/2nd-february-1988-lesbians-abseil-house-lords-protest-section-28/) - Britain's lawmakers clearly under-estimated the fury of the LGBT+ community when they introduced Section 28 of the Local Government Act to Parliament. They may, indeed, have thought that they could ignore the thousands who had marched against the enshrining of homophobia into law. But they weren't prepared for a protest that occurred in their own
- [1983. Sexuality and Social Work: The Study Day](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/10/1983-sexuality-and-social-work-the-study-day/) - One of the aims of Gay in the 80s is to try and assess how much progress we have made in the past three decades (even though it doesn't always feel like it). Preparing this particular post - about social care education and social care institutions - made me acutely aware of just how much
- [1984. Boston Globe campaign brings gay/lesbian foster ban](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/05/1984-boston-globe-campaign-brings-gaylesbian-foster-ban/) - David Jean and Donald Babets are two professional men who had been in a long-term relationship in early 1984. They decided they wanted to become foster parents and, in accordance with local procedure in Boston, Massachusetts, contacted their local Department of Social Services. The Department undertook an extensive evaluation of the couple.They interviewed them repeatedly,
- [1987. Judge rules social prejudice enough to deny lesbian child custody](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/09/1987-judge-rules-social-prejudice-enough-to-deny-lesbian-child-custody/) - Many reasons have been given to deny lesbian or gay parents custody of their children but the 1987 case of S.E.G. vs R.A.G. in the Missouri Court of Appeals certainly came up with a jaw-dropper. Following the break up of her marriage, the wife entered a lesbian relationship. Regrettably for her, she didn't hide either
- [Section 28 Re-visited](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2017/12/section-28-re-visited/) - December 2017 marks the 30th anniversary of Margaret Thatcher's government accepting an amendment into its Local Government Bill. This amendment subsequently became known as Section 28 and, very broadly, it sought to prevent public money from being used to "promote" homosexuality. In fact, politicians concerns with local authorities 'promoting' homosexuality went back a year earlier.
- [2018. Looking backwards, looking forwards.](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2017/12/2018-looking-backwards-looking-forwards/) - "History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived but, if faced with courage, need not be lived again." Maya Angelou I hope it is clear from my various posts over the years that the 1980s wasn't just a decade of challenges for our communities, but also one of victories, large and small. It seems to
- [World AIDS Day: Let's hear it for us!](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2017/12/world-aids-day-lets-hear-us/) - It’s nearly 37 years since the first case of AIDS was recorded in the West. In the years that followed we experienced fear, loss, grief, and homophobia in truckloads. Just when it seemed our communities were gradually beginning to achieve some social and political headway, this dreadful disease came along and kicked our legs from
- [1986. Louise Hay and I](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2017/11/1986-louise-hay-and-i/) - 31 years ago this month I was on holiday in Los Angeles. I also took the opportunity to visit as many AIDS projects as I could (and also take part in the Stop LaRouche campaign). During a visit to one of these projects someone suggested that I attend one of Louise Hay's 'Hayrides'. I have
- [1988: First Aboriginal Mardi Gras float](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2017/02/1988-first-aboriginal-mardi-gras-float/) - Individual Aboriginal people have participated in Sydney's Mardi Gras parade since its inception in 1978. In 1982, for example, Roger McKay marched alone in the parade carrying the Aboriginal flag. He was determined to make the point that, no matter how much Oxford Street was seen as the gay 'Golden Mile', it was still on
- [1980s. What Causes AIDS?](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/01/1980s-what-causes-aids/) - Even though AIDS was formally identified in 1981, it wasn't until 1984 that researchers finally closed in on the causative virus. In that anxious intervening period I, like so many other gay men, became obsessed with scanning for symptoms that would, effectively, confirm an AIDS diagnosis. The 'top two' were Kaposi's Sarcoma lesions (a.k.a. 'the
- [1984. The Pretty Policeman's Ball](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2017/10/1984-pretty-policemans-ball/) - The Pretty Policeman's Ball was a fundraising concert for London Gay Switchboard (as it was known then.) Held at the Piccadilly Theatre, it featured some of the best LGBT talent of that period. This included musicians Bronski Beat and Tom Robinson, actors Miriam Margolyes and Simon Callow and stand-up comedians Bernard Padden and Simon Fanshawe.
- [1980s. Whatever happened to 'How to be a lesbian in 35 minutes'?](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/09/1980s-whatever-happened-to-how-to-be-a-lesbian-in-35-minutes/) - One of the principal aims of this blog is to document LGBT history as it really was. This is essentially because some very important events have been either forgotten or dangerously distorted by our enemies. 'How to Be a Lesbian in 35 Minutes' - a short film documenting the experiences of young lesbians - is
- [Robert Mapplethorpe 'The Perfect Moment'](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2017/09/robert-mapplethorpe-perfect-moment/) - Robert Mapplethorpe played a key role in having photography accepted as a legitimate art form. In the course of the 70s and 80s his work ranged from basic collage to black-and-white photographs of celebrities, nudes and flowers. Towards the end of his life, 175 of his photographs were brought together for a major retrospective. These
- [1981: Television Documentary 'Male Sexuality'](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2017/08/1981-television-documentary-male-sexuality/) - This episode of London Weekend Television's ground-breaking Gay Life series is a remarkably intelligent, non-sensational exploration of gay male sexuality.[Click here to watch]. A variety of gay men give their opinions on issues ranging from anonymous sex to monogamy and ageing. A well-informed presenter regularly interjects with various facts and figures that either support or
- [1980: Television Documentary 'What Am I?'](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2017/08/1980-television-documentary/) - What Am I? was a television documentary looking at the plight of transgender people living in the UK in 1980. It was produced in response to a case going through the European Court of Human Rights at the time. This case was a Belgian trans man whose government had denied him the opportunity to change
- [1983. Politics: London Lesbian Strength March](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/11/1983-politics-london-lesbian-strength-march/) - As a gay man it may seem unusual for me to be writing about a lesbian-only event. But I do so for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the Lesbian Strength marches were an important part of LGBT political activity during the 1980s. Secondly, in spite of this activity, there doesn't seem to be a great
- [1986. Monsignor Porca Madonna and the former South Australian Premier](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2017/08/1986-monsignor-porca-madonna-and-the-former-south-australian-premier/) - Australian politician Don Dunstan was a controversial figure for most of his life. His progressive social and economic policies grated with the ingrained conservatism of his home state South Australia. His behaviour - including turning up to Parliament in pink shorts - also got tongues wagging. And, almost inevitably, there were rumours about his sexuality.
- [1989. Bob Hope speaks out against homophobic violence](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2017/07/1989-bob-hope-speaks-out-against-homophobic-violence/) - Bob Hope was an American comedian who was at his most popular from the 30s to the 60s. A staunch Republican, Hope's comedy reflected the values of that period,and his material often included casual sexism, racism and homophobia. In 1975, for example, he declared, "I've just flown in from California, where they've made homosexuality legal.
- [1980. Gays in the British armed forces](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2017/06/1980-gays-british-armed-forces/) - "The accused were slight and young and pale-faced and charged with gross indecency with each other...They are both 22 and single and look as though they haven't started shaving yet...one serving with weapons intelligence, the other on 'close protective duties', his last duty in Northern Ireland that of bodyguard to UDR's commanding officer. Both are
- [1982. Barbara Smith on black, lesbian feminism in the USA](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2017/06/1982-barbara-smith-black-lesbian-feminism-usa/) - The 'Black Lives Matter' campaign has drawn attention to the extent of racism in the USA. It's certainly nothing new and, sadly, it's just as common in queer communities as it is in the wider population. In 1982 my fellow blogger David Hunt interviewed activist Barbara Smith about being a black lesbian in the USA.
- [1988. Shadow Health Minister: 'AIDS result of deliberate, possibly unnatural acts'](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2017/06/1988-shadow-health-minister-aids-results-deliberate-possibly-unnatural-behaviour/) - I was still relatively new to Australia when I attended the 3rd National Conference on AIDS in August 1988. But I'd been there long enough to recognise that Australia had an unparalled, progressive strategy for tackling HIV/AIDS. It was a strategy that had strong support from all political parties in the Australian party. Or so
- [LGBT Illustrators: David Shenton](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2017/04/lgbt-illustrators-david-shenton/) - David Shenton's career as a queer illustrator began with a half-joking challenge to the early gay Press's perception of gay art. "In Gay News, [paintings] were usually this kind of soft porn - mainly male nudes..." His own exhibition - elaborate flower paintings - had received what he described as 'the campest review ever' in
- [Ready for the 80s: The Village People.](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/03/ready-for-the-80s-the-village-people/) - I thought I'd start this blog by letting the masters of high-camp and gay innuendo sing us out of the 70s. https://youtu.be/n8dQ6fYUo7U Ready for the 80s? Of course we weren't - although it's interesting to speculate whether we would have been if we'd known what was coming. My guess is that we would have still
- [UK Launch of hardcopy 'Gay in the 80s' book](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2017/02/uk-launch-hardcopy-gay-80s-book/) - I'm pleased to announce that the hard copy of my book Gay in the 80s: From Fighting for Our Rights to Fighting for Our Lives is being launched in the UK this month (February) for LGBT History Month. Launch events are currently planned for Cambridge, Nottingham and Leicester, with a fourth in planning in London.
- [11th February 1987. Mark Ashton](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2017/02/11th-february-1987-mark-ashton/) - On this day 30 years ago Mark Ashton, co-founder of Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners, died of an AIDS-related illness. Although I was a member of LGSM I can't say I really knew Mark very well. So I'm commemorating the anniversary of his death with three different responses from those who did. The first
- [Documentary Film: Paris is Burning](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2017/02/film-paris-is-burning/) - Technically this film is outside the remit of this blog as it was released in 1990. But I have included it for two reasons. Firstly, the people and events therein were all filmed in the late 80s. And, secondly, those people and events are both quite extraordinary testaments to survival under adverse conditions. In this
- [1984. HIV/AIDS: The closure of San Francisco's bathhouses. Part Two](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2015/01/1984-hivaids-the-closure-of-san-franciscos-bathhouses-part-two/) - Given the speed at which San Francisco's Public Health Director, Mervyn Silverman, appeared to change his opinion on the relative contribution of bathhouses to the spread of HIV, it is hard to say whether he genuinely believed that his order for them to close would actually work. Indeed, in May 1983, he had already advised
- [Listen to 1982's LGBT news](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2017/01/listen-1982s-lgbt-news/) - I am again indebted to my fellow blogger David Hunt (Tell Me David) for his continuing work on archiving radio broadcasts from the 1980s. The latest material (here) is from Los Angeles station IMRU/KPFK in June 1982. It's a summary of the queer-themed news items they had run in the preceding twelve months. In reality,
- [Happy Holidays!](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2016/12/happy-holidays/) - Happy holidays to everyone who follows my blog, whatever you may be celebrating. 2016 has not been the best of years and things are looking pretty bleak for 2017. But let's not forget we've come along way in the last 30 years. We're more visible and we're more organised - everywhere from politics and the
- [1982. White gays first African AIDS diagnoses](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2016/12/1982-white-gays-first-african-aids-diagnoses/) - In the decades since HIV/AIDS first entered our awareness, it has become abundantly clear that Africa was not only the crucible for the disease but has always been the continent most affected. There is a general consensus that HIV - the human immunodeficiency virus - is a mutation of SIV - simian immunodeficiency virus. It
- [We Will Survive](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2016/11/we-will-survive/) - Sincerest condolences to our friends in the USA where Hate Speech has just become the offical language. There's no way to put a positive spin on this; we are about enter a new dark and dangerous era. But we've been through dark and dangerous eras before; most notably following the election of Ronald Reagan when
- [1982. The first of Channel Four](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/04/1982-the-first-of-channel-four/) - In 1982, after nearly three decades of discussion about a fourth national broadcaster for the UK, Channel 4 came into existence. I can only assume its timing was entirely accidental since it was not the best time for the launch of a TV station with a remit to provide programming to minority groups. This was
- [1981. Television: Brideshead Revisited](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/05/1981-television-brideshead-revisited/) - Britain's Granada TV brought Evelyn Waugh's inter-war tale of upper class decadence and dysfunction to the small screen in a lavish production in 1981. Set against a backdrop of glamorous locations and well-appointed mansions, the series followed the life and loves of Captain Charles Ryder (Jeremy Irons). And we were barely into the first ten
- [1980. Television documentary: Coming Out](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/08/1980_television_documentary_coming_out_1128/) - On July 17th 1980, the BBC broadcast Coming Out - a documentary based around the National Gay Pride March in London the previous summer. It's an extraordinary timepiece of 'the way we were' (and can be viewed here). As some 2-3,000 participants assemble, the commentator advises us that it is "the largest assembly of homosexual
- [1983. Television: 'Dear Ladies'](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/10/1983-television-dear-ladies/) - The British public has a long-held fascination with men in drag. Perhaps it dates back to Shakespearean times when women weren't allowed on stage but it has continued ever since. The Victorian era had George Robey, the early 20's had 'Old Mother Riley' and so it continued, through Danny La Rue to Dame Edna and,
- [1985. Television. The Golden Girls](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/12/1985-television-the-golden-girls/) - The Golden Girls was never promoted as a 'gay' show, nor were there that many gay characters (indeed, the gay housekeeper featured in the pilot episode was never seen again). But Dorothy, Blanche, Rose and Sophia garnered a huge gay following. Gay bars around the world guaranteed themselves a full house by wheeling out the
- [1980. Sesame Street's Bert and Ernie first come under scrutiny](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/05/1980-sesame-streets-bert-and-ernie-first-come-under-scrutiny/) - When Sesame Street first aired in 1969 it instantly acquired a reputation as a ground-breaking children's infotainment programme. Not only was the format stylish and innovative, it was also inclusive: characters - both human and puppet - came in a diverse range of shapes, sizes, ages, ethnicities and backgrounds. Unsurprisingly it was only a matter
- [1985. Kenny Everett 'comes out'](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/06/1985-kenny-everett-comes-out/) - Kenny Everett was a much-loved British comedian and DJ who courted controversy throughout his career. He was sacked from his job at the BBC for suggesting on-air that the wife of the then Transport Minister had passed her driving test by bribing the examiner: he was (understandably) condemned when he told Young Conservatives, 'Let's Bomb
- [1985. Television: Blue Peter drops gay presenter](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/08/1985-television-blue-peter-drops-gay-presenter/) - There have been a number of cute male presenters on Britain's longest running children's show Blue Peter. But Michael Sundin was, in my view, by far and away the cutest. Sadly, he's better known as one of the shortest-serving presenters, appearing from September 1984 to June 1985. The debate continues to this day as to
- [1982. Television: "Sydney, Golden City of the Gays"](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/09/1982-television-sydney-golden-city-of-the-gays/) - "In spite of the law, Sydney is quickly becoming for gays the San Francisco of the Southern Hemisphere. Now this may be a subject that you feel you or your children would be best to avoid. If so, please switch off now. If not, here is our report from Sydney, the Golden City for Gays"
- [1987. Transgenders hit Australian day-time television](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/10/1987-transgenders-hit-australian-day-time-television/) - The Ray Martin Midday Show was the epitome of white, middle-class conservatism - as can be seen by the audience members. For some reason he decided to have 36-year old transsexual Trixie Laumonte as a guest - and it quickly becomes apparent that he's out of his depth. He responds with an adolescent smirk when
- [1983. Movie: Veronica 4 Rose](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/12/1983-movie-veronica-4-rose/) - Produced by the UK's newly launched TV company Channel Four, Veronica 4 Rose looks at the lives of young lesbians in the English towns of Newcastle, Liverpool and London. In the course of the film they share their experiences and discuss the various issues they face. The lack of role models or positive images is
- [1984. Media: Norman Gunston tries to interview Boy George](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/02/1984-media-norman-gunston-tries-to-interview-boy-george/) - For the uninitiated, 'Norman Gunston' is a character created by Australian actor and comedian Garry McDonald. Gunston made his first television appearance in the early 70s, on Australia's 'Aunty Jack Show' (the eponymous 'Aunty Jack' being a large gravel-voiced, bearded man in a frock!) He then went on to host his own television chat show,
- [1987. Media: 'Are We Being Served: Lesbians, Gays and Broadcasting'](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/05/1987-media-are-we-being-served-lesbians-gays-and-broadcasting/) - 'Are We Being Served: Lesbians, Gays and Broadcasting' was a research project undertaken by the Gays and Broadcasting Project between 1985 and 1987. The first part of its title comes from a British sitcom of that time, 'Are You Being Served' that featured an extremely camp gay man as one of its central characters. The
- [1980. Television: Alan Whicker meets San Francisco's LGBT police recruits](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/12/1980-television-alan-whicker-meets-san-franciscos-lgbt-police-recruits/) - British television journalist Alan Whicker made his name as a fearless, globe-trotting reporter who produced a series of ground-breaking stories throughout the 60s, 70s and 80s. No topic seemed out of bounds for him and he covered everything from Latin American dictators to 'swingers', plastic surgeons and refugees. In 1973 he even filmed a gay
- [1980. Television: Gay Life](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/01/1980-television-gay-life/) - Gay Life was a weekly, LGBT-specific current affairs series produced by London Weekend Television's Minorities Unit. It was the first LGBT television series to be broadcast in the UK (although it didn't go out nationally; transmission was limited to the London Weekend Television region). Perhaps because of it's 'contentious' nature, it wasn't shown until 11.30
- [1987. Television: Britain's first on-screen gay kiss](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/04/1987-television-britains-first-on-screen-gay-kiss/) - If anything indicates just how regressive social attitudes were in Britain in the 1980s it has got be the reaction to television's first on-screen gay kiss. It happened during an episode of the BBC soap East Enders and, judging by the furore, you'd think it was some hot, horny number. In fact it was one
- [1981. Television: The last of 'Soap'](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/05/1981-television-the-last-of-soap/) - The ABC comedy series 'Soap' ran from 1977 until 1981, courting controversy for most of its lifetime. Central to this was the fact that it spoofed traditional television soap operas by featuring outlandish characters and storylines. So much so that the TV station received nearly 30,000 letters of protest before the first episode had even
- [1987. Television: Channel Four 'The Corner House'](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/06/1987-television-channel-four-the-corner-house/) - When Britain's Channel Four was established in 1982 it had a specific brief to cater for the needs of those populations not catered for by the other television channels. As far as the LGBT population was concerned, it tried to meet these in a variety of ways ranging from film (e.g. My Beautiful Laundrette) to
- [1980. Television: Gay Power, Gay Politics](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/06/1980-television-gay-power-gay-politics/) - The title of this CBS documentary suggests that it will be an examination of the growing organisation and political power of LGBT communities. In fact, it used a combination of misinformation and gross stereotyping to suggest that gays - and 'the gay lifestyle' - presented a threat to the wider population. In his introduction to
- [1986. Television: Channel Four - 'In the Pink'](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/08/1986-television-channel-four-in-the-pink/) - Since its launch in 1982, Britain's Channel Four took the lead in the representation of LGBT people and their interests on television. Needless to say this did not come without some considerable opposition in the midst of Margaret Thatcher's buttoned-down regime. Conservative MPs regularly called for the station to be closed down after one queer
- [1987: Murdoch media's hypocrisy over gays on TV](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2016/10/1987-murdoch-medias-hypocrisy-gays-tv/) - "EastEnders is turning into "EastBenders"...with two gays joining the soap's line up." "A homosexual love scene between two yuppie poofs..." Such was the response of Rupert Murdoch's British tabloid The Sun, to the appearance of two gay characters in the BBC soap EastEnders. The first quote appeared as a front-page headline in 1986, when it
- [Television: Dynasty's dismal gay character](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2016/10/television-dynastys-dismal-gay-character/) - It seemed like a good idea at the time. But the plan to put a positive gay character in global TV hit Dynasty soon fell short of its original good intentions. Al Corley, who originally played the Carrington dynasty’s homosexual son, left the show at the end of the second season. He complained about “the
- [1988: Film. Hairspray](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2016/09/1988-film-hairspray/) - Hairspray was a milestone for both John Waters and Divine. For Waters it was his directorial debut in mainstream films; for Divine it was the first film in which he didn't have the leading role. https://youtu.be/6zgCEgeKoMk Soon-to-be famous (and also considerably slimmer) Ricki Lake played the main character, rebellious 60s teenager Tracey Turnblad. Divine played
- [1983. AIDS and the Moral Majority](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2016/08/1983-aids-and-the-moral-majority/) - This hysterical magazine cover was produced by the Moral Majority - one of America's New Right lobbyists - in 1983. It epitomises the myths they promoted about AIDS to further their political agenda. For example: The fact that the family are wearing face masks suggests a high level of infectivity - something that was known
- [1986. Lyndon LaRouche and Proposition 64](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2016/07/1986-lyndon-larouche-and-proposition-64/) - Proposition 64 was put on the California ballot of 4th November 1986. Under the American electoral system, citizens can vote on various 'initiatives' as well as candidates in their elections. Proposition 64 - an initiative relating specifically to people with HIV/AIDS - was put on the ballot by Lyndon LaRouche and his supporters. LaRouche generated
- [1983. HIV/AIDS: Who really discovered the AIDS virus?](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/10/1983-hivaids-who-really-discovered-the-aids-virus/) - The story behind the identification of the AIDS virus illustrates how the supposedly objective world of science is tainted by less scientific characteristics such as ego, power and greed. Shortly after the appearance of AIDS in the early 80’s, scientists around the world set to work to discover what caused it. Two players who were
- [1983. HIV/AIDS: Pacifica Radio Programme, 'I Will Survive'](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/08/1983-hivaids-pacifica-radio-programme-i-will-survive/) - https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/12012414/001survive.mp3 There have been many books written, lots of television documentaries and increasing numbers of films about the history of HIV/AIDS*. They are all important, not least because it's crucial that we never forget what our communities went through in the years following the disease's first appearance. And that is one why reason why I
- [1988. HIV/AIDS: Vito Russo - 'Why We Fight'](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/12/1988-hivaids-vito-russo-why-we-fight/) - To mark this year's World AIDS Day I'm publishing a speech given by queer rights and AIDS activist Vito Russo at a couple of ACT UP rallies in 1988. Russo was one of many who were appalled at the intransigence shown to the AIDS crisis by governments, politicians and the media*. As he said:
- [1980s. Reagan repeatedly avoids HIV/AIDS 'conversation'](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2016/03/1980s-reagan-repeatedly-avoids-hivaids-conversation/) - One of the reasons I began this blog was to record our history: another was to challenge any re-writing of that history for political expediency. But never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that a Democratic candidate for the US Presidency would so glibly re-write history to paint Republicans Ronald and Nancy Reagan in a
- [1983. HIV/AIDS: 1,112 and Counting](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2015/07/1983-hivaids-1112-and-counting/) - In March 1983 the New York Native published what was to become an historic piece of writing about the developing AIDS crisis. 1,112 and Counting was written by a very angry Larry Kramer. The co-founder of the world's first AIDS organisation - Gay Men's Health Crisis - Kramer had resigned from its Board in 1983
- [Notorious Homophobes: Jesse Helms](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2015/05/notorious-homophobes-jesse-helms/) - As a non-American citizen I sometimes find it hard to grasp just how far to the Right some powerful US politicians are. Jesse Helms * is a classic example of this: an unapologetic white supremacist, he opposed everything from women's rights to disability rights and affirmative action. Not surprisingly, he was also immensely homophobic and
- [1980. Politics: The sham 'research' of Paul Cameron](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/10/1980-politics-the-sham-research-of-paul-cameron/) - In 1980, Paul Cameron left his role as lecturer at the University of Nebraska to take up private practice as a psychologist. He became increasingly obsessed with homosexuality and, by 1982, was chair of the Committee to Oppose Special Rights for Homosexuals. This body had been created to oppose a proposed gay rights ordinance in
- [Section 28: Inciting and exploiting homophobia](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2016/07/section-28-inciting-exploiting-homophobia/) - "...the distinction between this and...proper teaching about homosexuality cannot be drawn sufficiently clearly in legislation to avoid harmful misinterpretation. That is a risk we cannot take." This was a response to a proposal presented to the British Parliament to "restrain local authorities from promoting homosexuality." But it didn't come from the Labour Opposition; it came
- [1987. First ACT UP demonstration](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2015/12/1987-first-act-demonstration/) - Today is World AIDS Day - a good time to remember that it was our communities' activism that was crucial in getting the AIDS crisis taken seriously in the first place. One example is ACT UP - the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power. The first ACT UP group emerged from a public meeting in New
- [1980. Politics: Ronald Reagan elected](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/04/1980-politics-ronald-reagan-elected/) - The late 70's was a turbulent time in American politics. The economy seemed to be sluggish,inflation and interest rates were high and there were recurrent energy shortages. On the international stage the Soviet Union had invaded Afghanistan with apparent impunity and the Ayatollah Khomeini had come to power in Iran in an anti-American Islamic revolution.
- [1986. Politics: US Surgeon General Exposes Reagan Administration's Bigotry](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/03/1986-politics-us-surgeon-general-exposes-reagan-administrations-bigotry/) - From the photograph, former US Surgeon General C. Everett Koop looks like a cross between an Amish minister and some kindly old uncle. In reality he was a man who managed to get himself despised by both sides of the American political spectrum - although, thankfully, not at the same time. When Ronald Reagan was
- [80s. Australia's Largest AIDS Unit Bans Safe Sex Ed](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2016/07/80s-australias-largest-aids-unit-bans-safe-sex-ed/) - In 1987 and 1988, I worked as a Social Worker in Australia's largest AIDS Unit at St. Vincent's Hospital in Sydney. St. Vincent's was, on the face of it at least, the obvious location for an AIDS treatment unit. It was, after all, located in the centre of Sydney's queer heartland. This was the epicentre
- [1982. Gay London Police Monitoring Group (GALOP)](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/12/1982-gay-london-police-monitoring-group-galop/) - GALOP was contacted by Larry the day after he received a black eye and a fractured skull. He had been in a well-known gay pub in South London when eight straight men started attacking the customers. Larry went outside where there were two police vans and three police cars. When Larry asked a policeman to
- [1980s. Homophobic violence](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2016/07/1980s-homophobic-violence/) - "First we'll get rid of the Poles, then we'll get rid of the gays!" This is the chant that certain groups in Britain have taken up following that country's vote to leave the European Union. There has also been a reported increase in homophobic assaults. And, of course, this follows in the wake of mass
- [LGBT Artists: David McDiarmid](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2016/06/lgbt-artists-david-mcdiarmid/) - David McDiarmid (1952-95) was a queer Australian activist and artist whose work reflects the Australian queer community's experiences at the end of the 20th century. He was active in both the Melbourne and Sydney Gay Liberation movements in the early 70s. In 1972 he became the first person to be arrested at an Australian gay
- [Remembering Lesbians and Gay Men Support the Miners](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/09/remembering-lesbians-and-gay-men-support-the-miners/) - 2014 sees a variety of events to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the miners strike in the UK. It's particularly pleasing to see how a number are looking at the role of the support group Lesbians and Gay Men Support the Miners (LGSM). Certainly, at the time of the strike not a single member of
- [1987. Book: And the Band Played On](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2016/05/1987-book-band-played/) - And the Band Played On is Randy Shilts' epic (600+ pages) documentation of the early days of the AIDS crisis. It is an extraordinary political and historical document; not just because of the breadth of its coverage but also because of its timing. Shilts' book was published in 1987; six years after the first AIDS
- [1983. The Role of LGBT Media](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2016/05/1983-role-lgbt-media/) - At risk of stating the obvious, we didn't have the internet back in the 80s. Instead, we relied on a diverse range of LGBT media - some of which was more accessible than others - to counter the everyday homophobia of the mainstream media. I have previously written about the role of local publications in
- [1985. United front beats Rugby Council bigots](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2016/04/1985-united-front-beats-rugby-council-bigots/) - In September 1984, Rugby's Conservative-led council removed 'sexual orientation' from its Equal Opportunities policies. Conservative councillors went out of their way to abuse LGBT people; amongst other things declaring that 'all homosexuals are vile and perverted people'. Such comments showed that the move wasn't just about removing protection for LGBT employees - it also sought
- [1980. Scaremongering over sex education in Victoria's schools](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2016/03/1980-scaremongering-over-sex-education-in-victorias-schools/) - The current moral panic surrounding Australia's 'Safe Schools' programme is the latest iteration of a 'gay agenda' conspiracy theory that goes back a long way. In 1980, for example, the government of the Australian state of Victoria decided to include homosexuality as part of the new Health and Human Relationships (H&HR) schools curriculum. This had
- [1985. Sydney Morning Herald's AIDS "Elephant Men"](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2016/02/1985-sydney-morning-heralds-aids-elephant-men/) - AIDS has certainly been subject to some extraordinary media distortions and deceit over the years. It's usually the tabloid press (with special merit to Rupert Murdoch's publications) that have produced the greatest amount of offensive rubbish. So it came as a bit of a shock for queer people and AIDS activists in Australia when they
- [1987. Politics: Margaret Thatcher derides "inalienable right to be gay"](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/11/1987-politics-margaret-thatcher-derides-inalienable-right-to-be-gay/) - In June 1987 Britain had a General Election that resulted in the election (for the third time) of Margaret Thatcher's Conservative government. Four months later, in a speech to the Conservative Party's annual conference in Blackpool, Margaret Thatcher - obviously buoyed by her re-election - spelled out her agenda for the coming years. When she
- [1984. Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners. Part One](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/09/1984-lesbians-and-gays-support-the-miners-part-one/) - In 1984 the UK's National Union of Mineworkers began a nation-wide strike in protest at planned coal mine closures around the country. The Thatcher government responded with measures that were not only tough but frequently brutal and often illegal. The dispute polarised the opinion of the general public as well as the LGBT community. Organised
- [1986. Lesbians and Gays Support the Printworkers](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2016/01/1986-lesbians-and-gays-support-the-printworkers/) - The recent movie Pride has done much to raise awareness of Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners (LGSM); a group of queer men and women who raised funds for striking miners during the 1984/85 National Miners Strike. But this month sees the 30th anniversary of another, lesser-known, queer group - Lesbians and Gays Support the
- [1983: Fighting to Share Martin Luther King's Dream](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2016/01/1983-fighting-to-share-martin-luther-kings-dream/) - On August 28, 1963 Martin Luther King Jr. delivered one of the most visionary speeches of the 20th century. Before a crowd of 250,000 assembled for the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, the civil rights leader issued a stirring call for equality and social justice. “Now is the time to make justice a
- [Gay in the 18th Century. The first queer fightback?](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2015/12/gay-in-the-18th-century-the-first-queer-fightback/) - 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 Garden, London. Molly Houses were essentially 'safe' houses for queer men and they existed in
- [HIV/AIDS: Delta Airlines' World-Class Bigotry](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2015/12/hivaids-delta-class-bigotry/) - As we know from painful experience, there were a number of inappropriate responses to HIV/AIDS in the 80s. Arguably, some of these can be explained away by the novelty and the ferocity of this new disease: in other words people were terrified by something they simply didn't understand. But when people repeatedly demonstrate bigoted behaviour,
- [1983. San Francisco the First Time](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/07/1983-san-francisco-the-first-time/) - It's an indication of my ignorance of the gay world at that time that I arrived in San Francisco two days after the Lesbian/Gay Freedom Day Parade. Tens of thousands of out-and-proud fags and dykes partying on the streets - and I got there just in time for the hangover! Nonetheless just being in gay
- [Harvey Milk assassinated on this day, 1978.](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2015/11/harvey-milk-as-this-day-1978/) - Remembering Harvey Milk, assassinated on this day in 1978 by ex-cop Dan White. "Hope Will Never Be Silent"
- [1986. The Life and Loves of a Transsexual Bank Robber](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2015/11/1986-the-life-al-bank-robber/) - A couple of weeks ago I received an email from a school student in Sydney, Australia, seeking information on the experience of trans and gender fluid people in the 80s. I have to say I had very few resources to offer her on the subject; my memory is that trans issues weren't particularly high on
- [1985. Westminster Council tries to block AIDS funding](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2015/11/1985-westminster-council-tries-to-block-aids-funding/) - The first British case of AIDS was diagnosed at the end of 1981. Just over three years later, in March 1985, testing for HIV was introduced and 2,935 positive diagnoses were recorded within the first six months. Even at that stage we knew that this number was only the tip of the iceberg and there
- [Notorious Homophobes: William Dannemeyer](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2015/10/notorious-homophobes-william-dannemeyer/) - William Dannemeyer was an extreme Right-wing Republican Member of the U.S. House of Representatives. His general political activities included opposition to the Americans with Disabilities Act and attempts to block funding for evolution-related exhibitions at the Smithsonian Institute. But when it came to homosexuals, he excelled himself. In 1985, for example, he called for people
- [1987. Politics: Capital Gay offices firebombed](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/08/1987-politics-capital-gay-offices-firebombed/) - Anyone who doubts the level of homophobia generated by the Thatcher government's Section 28 need only watch the following short interview. In it, Graham McKerrow, one of the founders of London's Capital Gay newspaper describes the responses to the firebombing of the paper's offices in December 1987. They are absolutely chilling. As McKerrow recounts, the
- [Memoirs of a Boot Scootin' Boy!](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2015/10/memoirs-of-a-boot-scootin-boy/) - "A popular activity at country bars everywhere [boot scooting] incorporates intricate steps and confusing turns with popular country music...All involve memorizing an average of thirty-two or thirty-six distinct steps in order and repeating them over and over. The majority are danced individually; that is, no partner is required as all participants form parallel lines across
- [1980s. Gay Rights and Labour's 'Loony Left'](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2015/09/1980s-gay-rights-and-labours-loony-left/) - Given that the UK Labour Party has just elected a new leader that the media continues to describe as 'Left-wing', it seems timely to re-visit the media coverage of the Labour Party's 'Left wing' back in the 1980s. In those days the tabloid media summed up their disdain for the Left by the creation and
- [1983. Richard Branson to buy Gay News?](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2015/09/1983-richard-branson-to-buy-gay-news/) - 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 keen to put in their own take-over bid; rumour had it that owner, Dennis Lemon,
- [1979-81: Sydney Women's Warehouse](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2015/08/1979-81-sydney-womens-warehouse/) - Let me acknowledge from the start that I'm not the most appropriate person to be posting about Sydney Women's (Wimmin's/Womyn's) Warehouse. Obviously, I'm a man and this was a women-only space. And technically it falls outside the 80s remit since it opened in 1979. So why am I posting about it? In the first instance,
- [1980. Gay and Lesbian Lifestyles Expo, Los Angeles](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2015/08/1980-gay-and-lesbian-lifestyles-expo-los-angeles/) - In December 1980 The Advocate magazine published an article entitled "A Different Kind of Trade Show". The article went on to explain that the event - the Gay and Lesbian Lifestyles Expo in Los Angeles - was organised: "...to provide the business community direct sales contact with the Los Angeles gay populations amid such attractions
- [1985. Tory MPs seek 'gay purge'](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2015/08/1985-tory-mps-seek-gay-purge/) - 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 was also renowned for his obsession with media coverage and had a reputation for his
- [1984. 'Pits and Perverts' Benefit Concert.](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/05/1984-pits-and-perverts-benefit-concert/) - The 'Pits and Perverts" concert was a benefit gig organised by the London Lesbian and Gays Support the Miners group. No one is quite sure where the title came from: originally thought to derive from a newspaper headline it now seems more likely that it was merely a parody of tabloid representations of lesbians and
- [1984. Politics: Lesbians Against Pit Closures](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/09/1984-politics-lesbians-against-pit-closures/) - The new movie Pride has brought the world's attention to the activities of the London Lesbians and Gay Men Support the Miners (LGSM) group in 1984/85. And, happily, the film also makes some reference to Lesbians Against Pit Closures (LAPC), albeit relatively brief. It's a great start. Whilst I hope that the film will spur
- [1986. Politics: Local authorities and LGBT rights](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2015/06/1986-politics-local-authorities-and-lgbt-rights/) - One of the things I try to do with this blog is give a sense of the political, social and cultural context against which various events took place. Hopefully this leads to a greater understanding of the event itself (for example, the introduction of the notorious Section 28 in the UK.) I am grateful, therefore,
- [1985. Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners. Part Two.](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/09/1985-lesbians-and-gays-support-the-miners-part-two/) - During the 1984-85 UK miners strike strong ties developed between Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners (LGSM), Lesbians Against Pit Closures and the mining communities they supported. Even when the strike concluded, the ties remained and ultimately led to one of the biggest political breakthroughs for the LGBT community. The first sign of sustained support
- [1985. Miners lead London Pride parade](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2015/06/1985-miners-lead-london-pride-parade/) - 30 years ago South Wales coalminers and their families and members of Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners led what is now known as the London Pride parade. This was just the first of a number of gestures to repay the support that the queer community had given striking miners during the 1984/85 national miners
- [1988. HIV/AIDS: Australian Safe Sex Ads](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2015/06/1988-hivaids-australian-safe-sex-ads/) - It's always interesting to compare different countries approaches to promoting safe sex. In the mid-80s Margaret Thatcher was pre-occupied with the idea that government-funded ads referred to 'rectal sex' (as opposed to anal sex or just plain old 'fucking'). In the US far-right Senator Jesse Helms was telling Congress that government funds had been used
- [May 22nd. Happy Birthday Harvey Milk!](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2015/05/may-22nd-happy-birthday-harvey-milk/) - Sadly, Harvey Milk was taken from us much too early, but his legacy lives on in the work of the Harvey Milk Foundation. 'Hope Will Never Be Silent'.
- [1983. Politics: Libgay's "error of judgement" over Bermondsey by-election](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2015/05/1983-politics-libgays-error-of-judgement-over-bermondsey-by-election/) - One of the notable outcomes from this month's UK General Election was the ousting of Liberal Democrat MP Simon Hughes from the seat of Bermondsey. Hughes had been the sitting MP since over-turning a 63% Labour majority at a controversial by-election in 1983. Central to the controversy was the homophobic campaign waged against Labour candidate
- [1983. The man from China](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/03/the-man-from-china/) - The Contact Whilst undertaking my Social Work course at Leicester University I set up, and became contact for, the University's Gay Society. One consequence of this was that in January 1983, whilst working as a student Probation Officer in Leicester Prison, I received a phone call. The guarded nature of the caller told me immediately
- [LGBT Illustrators: Howard Cruse](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2015/04/lgbt-illustrators-howard-cruse/) - I first came across the work of illustrator Howard Cruse in the magazine Gay Comix, an American import that I acquired at Gay's the Word bookshop in London. It was his single-cell cartoon Committing A Crime Against Nature (below) that first caught my attention. It epitomized the notion of 'a picture painting a thousand words',
- [1983. Politics: The trials of an openly gay candidate in a post-Tatchell Labour Party](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/12/1983-politics-the-trials-of-an-openly-gay-candidate-in-a-post-tatchell-labour-party/) - In 1983, Peter Tatchell stood as the democratically selected Labour Party candidate for the London seat of Bermondsey. The seat had been a safe Labour seat for decades with the Party usually taking some 60% of the vote. But the fact that Tatchell was gay led to the most extraordinarily homophobic campaign by the media,
- [1985. Film: The first of the AIDS films](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/12/1985-film-the-first-of-the-aids-films/) - As the AIDS crisis continued to unfold across the globe it was inevitable that it would eventually find its way into movies. The first of these appeared in 1985,with the tele-movie An Early Frost, Arthur J Bressan Jr's Buddies, and the lesser-known A Virus Has No Morals. It was an interesting mix: An Early Frost
- [1983. HIV/AIDS: Quentin Crisp declares AIDS is 'just a fad'](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2015/02/1983-hivaids-quentin-crisp-declares-aids-is-just-a-fad/) - Despite becoming one of the most celebrated homosexuals on both sides of the Atlantic, Quentin Crisp was no advocate of LGBT rights. Quite the opposite: he built an entire image as the self-hating outcast. Like a naughty child he sought attention with outbursts that were clearly designed to offend and upset. His view of homosexuality
- [1989. Law: The world's first legal recognition of same sex parterships](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2015/02/1989-law-the-worlds-first-legal-recognition-of-same-sex-parterships/) - On 1st October, 1989, eleven same-sex couples became the first in the world to have their relationships legally recognised. Earlier that year the government of Denmark has passed legislation that recognised 'registered partnerships' that brought same-sex couples closer to (but not equal with) heterosexual marriage. For example, adoption was still out of the question -
- [1984. Film: Orientations: Lesbian and Gay Asians](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2015/03/1984-film-orientations-lesbian-and-gay-asians/) - The 1980s saw a significant increase in the production of queer-themed documentaries. This was aided, in part, by the introduction of videotape, which was not only cheaper than traditional 16mm film but also a lot more flexible. In consequence there was not only a greater quantity of films but also a greater diversity of subjects.
- [1980. Politics: Gay rights protest at Moscow Olympics](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2015/03/1980-politics-gay-rights-protest-at-moscow-olympics/) - As the memory of the Soichi Winter Olympics (and its accompanying LGBT rights protests) gets ever dimmer, it's worth remembering that that was not the first time the Olympics have been used to draw attention to Russia's seemingly entrenched homophobia. When Russia (or the Soviet Union as it was then) hosted the 1980 summer Olympics,
- [1983. Media: Gay News staff start buy-out bid](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2015/04/1983-media-gay-news-staff-start-buy-out-bid/) - 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 people, at least - as a collective enterprise where the division between managers and mainstream
- [Join me at London's Bishopsgate Institute on April 21st](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2015/03/join-me-at-londons-bishopsgate-institute-on-april-21st/) - I shall be joining long-time queer activist Linda Bellos OBE and Robert Thompson, Chair of the Lesbian and Gay Newsmedia Archive (LAGNA) to talk about 'LGBT London - The Media and the 'Loony Left' on Tuesday, April 21st. The talk will take place at London's Bishopsgate Institute from 7.30 p.m. By way of 'scene-setting', I
- [1984. HIV/AIDS: The closure of San Francisco's bathhouses. Part One.](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2015/01/1984-hivaids-the-closure-of-san-franciscos-bathhouses-part-one/) - On 9th October 1984, San Francisco's Director of Public Health, Mervyn Silverman, ordered the closure of fourteen bathhouses in the city. Within six hours of him issuing the order two had already re-opened. A further ten had re-opened within 24 hours. Clearly the defiance of the closure orders highlights just what a contentious issue it
- [1987. Politics: Ayatollah Khomeini issues pro-transsexual fatwa](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/12/1987-politics-ayatollah-khomeini-issues-pro-transsexual-fatwa/) - When the Ayatollah Khomeini came to power in 1979 one of his first acts was to establish the death penalty for homosexuals: a punishment that has been ruthlessly imposed ever since. Unsurprisingly then, more than a few people were taken aback when, in 1987 he declared a fatwa declaring that gender re-assignment surgery was permissible
- [November 27th: Harvey Milk Assassinated](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/11/november-27th-harvey-milk-assassinated/) - Today marks the 36th anniversary of the assassination of Harvey Milk. As appalling as this event was, Harvey Milk continues to inspire the fight for queer rights and justice around the world. By way of illustration I am posting a short tribute made by young queer people who weren't even born when Milk was murdered.
- [1985. HIV/AIDS: AIDS just a big joke to some journalists](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/11/1985-hivaids-aids-just-a-big-joke-to-some-journalists/) - Hear the one about the bent pop musician who got AIDS? Or the homosexual lawyer? The gay ambulanceman? Eh, you have to laugh! Well, so thought Britain's Daily Star newspaper (from the same stable as the Right-wing Daily Express). As the AIDS crisis continued to unfold, what better way to respond than makes jokes about
- [1983. Book: Alan Turing: The Enigma of Intelligence](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/11/1983-book-alan-turing-the-enigma-of-intelligence/) - Given that Alan Turing is finally getting the recognition he deserves (albeit tragically too late), it seems only right to look at how this came about. It is the result of a process that began more than thirty years ago; a process that was initiated (and largely driven) by one man - Oxford academic and
- [1988. Politics: Hobart Council arrests queers to keep them out of its 'family market'](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/11/1988-politics-hobart-council-arrests-queers-to-keep-them-out-of-its-family-market/) - Tasmania was one of the most deeply homophobic of Australia's states. It was in Tasmania, for example, that the last man to hang for sodomy in the British Empire was executed, in 1867. Whilst the severity of the punishments lessened over the next hundred years or so, the mentality behind them certainly didn't. And so
- [1985. Politics: Harvey Milk's Assassin Dan White Kills Himself](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/10/1985-politics-harvey-milks-assassin-dan-white-kills-himself/) - On October 30th 1985 Dan White was found dead in the garage of his family home in San Francisco. A rubber tube leading from his car's exhaust indicated that he had committed suicide by carbon monoxide poisoning. White is, of course, notorious for his double murder of out-gay politician Harvey Milk and San Francisco mayor
- [Politics. 1987: Darlinghurst Police Station closes](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/10/politics-1987-darlinghurst-police-station-closes/) - When the New South Wales State government decided to close Darlinghurst police station - in the centre of Sydney's queer communities - it was the cause of much celebration. So much so that the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence organised an exorcism of the premises. The police station - or, more precisely, its occupants - had
- [1988: HIV/AIDS: Princess Anne's concerns for the 'innocent AIDS victims' ](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/10/1988-hivaids-princess-annes-concerns-for-the-innocentaids-victims/) - The 1988 Global Summit on AIDS in London was a bit of a landmark in the AIDS field at the time. As the first meeting of health ministers from around the world, it produced two important outcomes. One was World AIDS Day, an annual event to remind people of the continuing threat of HIV as
- [HIV/AIDS: Ridiculous Responses to AIDS. Number 2](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/09/hivaids-ridiculous-responses-to-aids-number-2/) - I must admit I'm in two minds as to whether this constitutes a ridiculous response or just a lazy one. It was posted by a former funeral director on the message board of an Australian TV company, in relation to a particular AIDS documentary that had been broadcast. As you'll see, the author describes how
- [LGBT Illustrators: Jeff Allan](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/09/lgbt-illustrators-jeff-allan/) - Towards the end of the 80s Jeff Allan began living a double life as an illustrator. His most widely known work was a children's cartoon strip - Eric the Echidna - in the Sydney Sun Herald. But from 1989 he had also turned his hand to sex, drugs and rock'n'roll (well, dance music anyway) with
- [1989. Politics: Western Australia's own Clause 28](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/08/1989-politics-western-australias-own-clause-28/) - Most of us are familiar with Britain's notorious Clause 28 (of the 1988 Local Government Act), which prevented local authorities from funding anything that might be viewed as 'promoting' homosexuality. Created by Conservative MPs, supported by Conservative MPs (albeit with support from the Labour opposition in its early stages) and enacted by the Conservative Government
- [1985. Film: Desert Hearts](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/07/1985-film-desert-hearts/) - Donna Deitch's independent movie Desert Hearts, based loosely on Jane Rule's 1960s novel Desert of the Heart, was very much a ground-breaker for its time. This probably explains why Deitch faced so many obstacles in getting it made. After spending four years trying to raise funds for the film, Deitch eventually had to resort to
- [1985. Lesbian and Gay Pride 85](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/01/1985-lesbian-and-gay-pride-85/) - Lesbian and Gay Pride 85 marked a significant turning point in the fortunes of what we now know simply as 'Pride'. At that time there were no regional rallies; there was a national Lesbian and Gay Pride parade and it was always in London. But attendance had been on a steady decline. We reported in
- [1983. Gay Politics: Sydney's Mysterious (and Dangerous) 'Gay Army'](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/07/1983-gay-politics-sydneys-mysterious-and-dangerous-gay-army/) - Anyone who was around in the early 80s will remember the media's hysterical response to AIDS and the ease with which it attributed it to gay men. It wasn't labelled 'the gay plague' or 'gay bug' out of sympathy for us. So it was unsurprising that, in these hostile times, gay community organisations were doing
- [1982. Music: GALA Choruses](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/07/1982-music-gala-choruses/) - Lesbian and gay choirs go back as far as 1975, with the formation of the Anna Crusis Women's Choir. Two years later the Gotham Male Chorus formed, then became the Stonewall Chorale in 1979 when women joined. By the end of the 70s there were a handful of LGBT choirs in the USA; the San
- [1985. HIV/AIDS: Eve van Grafhorst](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/07/1985-hivaids-eve-van-grafhorst/) - Eve van Grafhorst was born in 1982 and lived in the community of Kincumber, New South Wales, Australia. As a premature baby she had received a number of blood transfusions, one of which was contaminated with HIV and, in consequence, she became infected with the virus She was already in pre-school in Kincumber when her
- [1987. HIV/AIDS: The ADS Epidemic - 'Acquired Dread of Sex' ](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/06/1987-hivaids-the-ads-epidemic-acquired-dread-of-sex/) - This video by John Greyson uses humour as well as sarcasm to put across a couple of important messages. One of these is that taking the media hype about AIDS too seriously can lead to ADS - Acquired Dread of Sex. The other - which follows naturally from the first - is about enjoying safe
- [1981. London's First Festival of Gay Film and Video](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/06/1981-londons-first-festival-of-gay-film-and-video/) - Whilst the London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival is generally held to have started in 1986, it's roots - and influences - go much further back. The current Film Festival is actually a development from a 'one-off' event at the British Film Institute in 1977. This was a selection of 35 works of varying lengths,
- [1985. Film: You Can Fight City Hall - Lesbian and Gay Rights in the Mid-West](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/06/1985-film-you-can-fight-city-hall-lesbian-and-gay-rights-in-the-mid-west/) - At a time when equal marriage and anti-discrimination measures are being rolled out like never before in both the USA and the UK, this is a timely reminder of just how much hostility we faced to get to this point. You Can Fight City Hall is a low-budget film that consists largely of footage of
- [1983. Movie: The Hunger](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/08/1983-movie-the-hunger/) - The Hunger is a film about a female vampire who constantly needs to acquire 'new blood' in order to maintain eternal youth. Catherine Deneuve plays the vampire, Miriam, and she's not fussy whether she seduces men or women - as long as she gets a good slurp of their blood afterwards. The film is most
- [1980. Film: Divine Madness](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/05/1980-film-divine-madness/) - The movie Divine Madness was my first encounter with Bette - 'the Divine Miss M' - Midler. I'd never heard of her before we went in to see the movie but after seeing Divine Madness I knew I'd be back for more. It's probably well known that Bette began her career in the Continental Bathhouse
- [1986. Politics: Manchester's Chief Constable James Anderton](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/05/1986-politics-manchesters-chief-constable-james-anderton/) - James Anderton was appointed Chief Constable of Greater Manchester in 1975 and remained there until 1991, despite his ongoing campaign against LGBT people. Like many homophobes, Anderton claimed to be a God-fearing Christian. Indeed, he came to be nicknamed 'God's Copper' - not so much because he had been a Methodist lay preacher but because
- [1982. Movie: Tootsie](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/05/1982-movie-tootsie/) - During the 80s there was still a widely-held view that male actors who frocked up automatically deserved an Academy Award. Similarly, straight male actors playing gay men was also perceived as some huge acting challenge worthy of an Oscar. Of course, there were no such plaudits for the much more common practice of gay actors
- [HIV/AIDS: Ridiculous Responses to AIDS. No. 1](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/05/hivaids-ridiculous-responses-to-aids-no-1/) - From The Daily Mirror (UK), 8th February 1985: Panic in court as man in dock admits: I have AIDS A court was cleared in a 30-second stampede yesterday after the prisoner in the dock told the judge: 'I have AIDS'. Even the judge ran from the Brussels courtroom. Police shouted from the doorway to tell
- [1987. Music: Pet Shop Boys and Dusty Springfield. What Have I Done to Deserve This? ](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/05/1987-music-pet-shop-boys-and-dusty-springfield-what-have-i-done-to-deserve-this/) - In 1987 these two huge gay icons came together to give us 'What Have I Done to Deserve This?'. As well as marking the Pet Shop Boys continuing climb up the music ladder it was also a significant indicator of Dusty's comeback following various health issues in the 70s and early 80s. https://youtu.be/DiskK0g82XA
- [1983. Politics: Guernsey reluctantly decriminalises homosexuality ](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/04/1983-politics-guernsey-reluctantly-decriminalises-homosexuality/) - If anyone ever needed evidence of the strength of resistance to homosexual law reform they need look no further than the UK. As I have previously noted, the 1967 Sexual Offences Act, which decriminalised male homosexual acts - subject to a large number of terms and conditions - was only applied to Scotland in 1980.
- [1982. Music: Paul Parker. Right on Target](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/04/1982-music-paul-parker-right-on-target/) - I have to confess I know very little about Paul Parker, other than seeing his name in the gay clubs playlists during the 1980s. It's not hard to see from this (rather strange) video why he was popular on the gay scene in the UK, USA and Australia. From the archetypal clone look to the
- [1981. Politics: Homophobe Fred Nile Elected to NSW Parliament ](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/04/1981-politics-homophobe-fred-nile-elected-to-nsw-parliament/) - Fred Nile trod the Australian evangelical circuit for many years before he decided to stand for a seat in the New South Wales Parliament in 1981. With a resume that includes work for the Australian Billy Graham Crusade, Christian Endeavour and the Australian Festival of Light there was never any doubt where Nile stood on
- [1982. 4th July. The death of Terrence Higgins ](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/07/1982-4th-july-the-death-of-terrence-higgins/) - On 4th July 1982 Terry Higgins died from AIDS; he was one of the first people to die from the disease in the UK . His friends were so appalled at the poor treatment he received during his illness they set up a charity to ensure greater support for others who were, or would become,
- [1983. Gay Scene: Long Yang Club](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/04/1983-gay-scene-long-yang-club/) - The Long Yang club was established in London in 1983 in response to the absence of a safe and supportive social space for LGBT Asians and their friends. The group was named after Lord Long Yang - a gay character in the Chinese book of legends 'Dream of Red Mansions'. Since its inception in the
- [1987. Politics: Operation Spanner](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/04/1987-politics-operation-spanner/) - In 1987 police in Manchester, England obtained a video that showed a group of men perpetrating acts of sadistic torture, including beatings and genital abrasions. Convinced that this was a recording of men being tortured prior to being killed, the police launched a murder inquiry - Operation Spanner - that involved the questioning of hundreds
- [1980s. Gay Scene: Signalling Sexual Tastes](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/04/1980s-gay-scene-signalling-sexual-tastes/) - For as long as I can remember - and long before I even thought of myself as gay - I've heard tales about how people signal their sexual preferences. In my 'pre-gay' life these were very mild; for example, wearing an earring in your left ear or a ring on your little finger meant you
- [1980. Movie: Squeeze](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/12/1980-movie-squeeze/) - Squeeze is a New Zealand film that follows the fortunes of a young man as he begins to find his way around gay life in the city of Auckland. It was considered very controversial at the time; presumably because homosexuality was still a crime in New Zealand and possibly because the characters included a bisexual
- [1983. Politics: Sydney Gay Rights Embassy](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/03/1983-politics-sydney-gay-rights-embassy/) - The Sydney Gay Rights Embassy was part of a law reform campaign that was given additional impetus following repeated police raids on gay venues during 1983. On 6th September, protestors set up a caravan - replete with various banners - outside the home of New South Wales Premier Neville Wran in the Sydney suburb of
- [1982. Politics: Campaign for Homosexual Equality's Charter of Lesbian and Gay Rights](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/03/1982-politics-campaign-for-homosexual-equalitys-charter-of-lesbian-and-gay-rights/) - In 1982, the National Conference of the UK's Campaign for Homosexual Equality unanimously endorsed a Charter of Lesbian and Gay Rights. The Charter read: Homosexual equality demands the acknowledgement that homosexuality is a valid form of sexual expression. that lesbians and gay men have the right to life-styles free from social and legal discrimination and
- [1987. Music: George Michael. I Want Your Sex](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/03/1987-music-george-michael-i-want-your-sex/) - Poor old George Michael! By all accounts he's a really lovely man but he certainly struggled to accept his sexuality back in the 80s. And whilst no one was expecting him to shout it from the rooftops, it does seem a bit sad that he felt the need to do exactly the opposite with this
- [1984. Books: 'Men in Frocks'](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/03/1984-books-men-in-frocks/) - "Men in Frocks is the book on modern drag. Its stunning photo studies show the amazing variety of styles that parade themselves today. In a collage of interviews, the drag queens speak for themselves, from unknown street people through to Marilyn and Boy George. They tell the hundred and one reasons why they do it,
- [1981. Politics: The Rights of Gay Men and Women ](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/03/1981-politics-the-rights-of-gay-men-and-women/) - The Rights of Gay Men and Women was a discussion document published by the National Executive Committee of the British Labour Party in 1981. It was that Party's first official document to address the subject. Based on the Campaign for Homosexual Equality's model 'Law Reform Bill' it covered a wide range of areas. These included
- [LGBT Illustrators: Kenton Penley Miller](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/03/lgbt-illustrators-kenton-penley-miller/) - I first came across the work of Kenton Penley Miller (or Kenton Penley as he was then) in 1987 in the Australian gay men's magazine Outrage. He explored various aspects of gay men's lives in various single-cell cartoons as well as a full-page strip 'Bent at the Knees'. For example, his first ever cartoon for
- [1985. Music: Dead or Alive. You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/03/1985-music-dead-or-alive-you-spin-me-round-like-a-record/) - For a band that didn't really have many hits they've certainly made the most of one particular record. As the following two versions of the same song demonstrate, that's probably got much to do with frontman Pete Burns enduring efforts to remain in the spotlight. Even without watching the second version, the original seems remarkably
- [22nd May. Harvey Milk Day. ](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/05/22nd-may-harvey-milk-day-2/) - "It takes no compromise to give people their rights. It takes no money to respect the individual. It takes no political deal to give people freedom. It takes no survey to remove repression." Today is Harvey Milk Day.
- [1983. Gay Scene: The Pavilion Club, Shardlow](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/02/1983-gay-scene-the-pavilion-club-shardlow/) - "The first time I went to the Pavilion Club, Shardlow, I went into the nearby pub to ask for directions. They'd never heard of it, so I explained it was a gay club that operates on Saturday nights and I felt sure it was near the pub somewhere. The penny dropped. Slight embarrassment. "That's not
- [1985. Movie: What Can I Do With a Male Nude?](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/02/1985-movie-what-can-i-do-with-a-male-nude/) - What Can I Do With a Male Nude was produced in response to the passage of the Video Recordings Act in the UK in 1984. The Act (better known as 'The Video Nasties' Bill) tightened up censorship on commercially produced videotapes, which were becoming increasingly popular at that time. Enacted (at least in theory) to
- [1980. Gay Scene: Sydney's first Gay Mardi Gras party](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/02/1980-gay-scene-sydneys-first-gay-mardi-gras-party/) - Sydney's post-parade Mardi Gras parties have been the stuff of legend for many years: for example, in the mid-80s decorations of the immense dance hall included a full-size light aircraft suspended from the ceiling and a pile of smashed up cars on the dance floor. At my first Mardi Gras party, in 1987, the entire
- [1980. Music: Stray Dags](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/02/1980-music-stray-dags/) - I first came across the lesbian-feminist band Stray Dags during my first visit to Australia in 1982. I was instantly struck by the name, having just been introduced to the Australian word 'dag' (which is the lump of poo that hangs off the wool around a sheep's backside). 'The Dags' had formed (if you'll pardon
- [1983. Politics: Homosexuality in Britain. A Conservative Approach](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/02/1983-politics-homosexuality-in-britain-a-conservative-approach/) - Homosexuality in Britain - A Conservative Perspective was published by the Conservative Group for Homosexual Equality (CGHE). CGHE describes its purpose as seeking to: "...encourage support within the Conservative Party for ending laws and practices which discriminate against homosexuals and to ensure support for Conservative philosophy and a free society within the homosexual community." The
- [1980. Music: Dire Straits. Les Boys](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/02/1980-music-dire-straits-les-boys/) - "Les boys do cabaret Les boys are glad to be gay" And so opens the song 'Les Boys' by Dire Straits (or, as I once accidentally mis-spelled them, Dire Straights.) There has been much debate since this track was released on their 1980 album 'Making Movies' as to whether or not this was a homophobic
- [1984. Politics: The International Year of Lesbian and Gay (In-)Action](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/02/1984-politics-the-international-year-of-lesbian-and-gay-in-action/) - I recently came across the February 1984 issue of Gay East Midlands and noticed that we'd put the International Year of Lesbian and Gay Action on our cover. Since I don't actually remember anything about this International Year I flicked through the paper to remind myself. But there was nothing. Not a mention: not even
- [1983. Politics: Probation officers union does U-turn on LGBT rights](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/01/1983-politics-probation-officers-union-does-u-turn-on-lgbt-rights/) - The National Association of Probation Officers (NAPO) is not a name that you might associate with Britain's LGBT history. However, it transpires that it played quite a pivotal role in the mid-80s. What is even more surprising is that it moved from a position of relative belligerence to one of serious advocacy in a very
- [LGBT Illustrators: Cathy White](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/01/lgbt-illustrators-cathy-white/) - I first met Cathy White when we were planning the launch of Gay East Midlands (GEM)in 1983. Despite a series of public meetings we'd failed to attract any lesbian input to our enterprise. Then, out of the blue, Cathy stuck her head around the door during one of our meetings and asked nervously if we'd
- [1980. Gay Scene: Between Heaven and the Hearty Goodfellow.](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/01/1980-gay-scene-between-heaven-and-the-hearty-goodfellow/) - The LGBT social scene has always been pretty diverse, varying from town to town and offering both single-sex and mixed pubs and clubs. That diversity was never made more clear to me than in early 1980, when I moved to Nottingham and began my first real exploration of 'the scene'. Despite being home to one
- [1985. Music: Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/01/1985-music-sisters-are-doin-it-for-themselves/) - Two iconic female musicians; one very powerful song. But I'm not entirely sure what to make of the lyrics; "Don't you know a man still loves a woman. And a woman still loves a man." Was that included just to make it clear this wasn't a 'lesbo' song? Surprising - and a little disappointing too
- [The 200th Post!](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/01/the-200th-post/) - When I started Gay in the 80s on 6th March 2012 I really wasn't sure where it would go or, indeed, how long it would last. So it gives me particular pleasure to find myself writing this, the 200th post! It's certainly been a fascinating two years - for both the blog and for LGBT
- [1982. Music: Kid Creole and the Coconuts. Stool Pigeon](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2014/01/1982-music-kid-creole-and-the-coconuts-stool-pigeon/) - With their big band sound and colourful 'zoot suits', Kid Creole and the Coconuts produced some good dance music in the early 80s. They did seem to have a bit of a pre-occupation with heterosexual themes in their songs (for example, Annie I'm Not Your Daddy and My Male Curiosity). And their promotional videos did
- [1980. Politics: Australian and New Zealand National Summer Offensive for Gay Rights](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/12/1980-politics-australian-and-new-zealand-national-summer-offensive-for-gay-rights/) - The idea of a National Summer Offensive for Gay Rights in both Australia and New Zealand came out of the 1979 National Homosexual Conference in Melbourne. It aimed to build on the growing activism that had been triggered by the police attack on Sydney's first Mardi Gras in 1978. Events were undertaken in a number
- [1983. Movie: Privates on Parade](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/12/1983-movie-privates-on-parade/) - A little humour for the holiday season. Privates on Parade is a little like Monty Python meets It Ain't Half Hot Mum, although the camp humour is much more intelligent in Privates than it ever was in It Ain't Half Hot... Set in an Army Entertainments Unit in Malaysia in 1948, the film follows the adventures
- [Christmas! Gay Men's Chorus of Washington. Black Christmas](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/12/christmas-gay-mens-chorus-of-washington-black-christmas/) - Here's a brilliantly original Christmas message from the Gay Men's Chorus of Washington, DC. Thank you for your support for Gay in the 80s over the past two years. I hope that, whatever type of holiday you're having, it's happy, safe and peaceful. Colin x https://youtu.be/70PW2De7PfY
- [1984. Music: Cyndi Lauper. Girls Just Want to Have Fun](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/12/1984-music-cyndi-lauper-girls-just-want-to-have-fun/) - This track has been called "a strong feminist anthem", "a feminist classic of the era" and "an anthem of female solidarity". Interestingly, it was written by a male songwriter for a male singer. Cyndi Lauper asked if she could change a couple of the lyrics and the rest, as they say, is history! https://youtu.be/HzfwOYMaeF0
- [1980. America's first openly gay Presidential candidate](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/12/1980-americas-first-openly-gay-presidential-candidate/) - Whilst you would be forgiven for thinking that only two political parties contest the US Presidential elections - the Republicans and the Democrats - the reality is quite different. A wide range of parties from all shades of the political spectrum put up candidates. Of course, given the vast sums of money necessary to mount
- [1980. Politics: US Democrats add gay rights to their platform](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/12/1980-politics-us-democrats-add-gay-rights-to-their-platform/) - As we know only too well, getting the support of political parties for LGBT rights can be (and has been) a long and arduous process. Such was the case with the United States Democratic Party, which had debated the issue for a number of years before finally incorporating LGBT rights into its political platform in
- [1982. Music: Tom Robinson and Crew. War Baby.](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/11/1982-music-tom-robinson-and-crew-war-baby/) - Tom Robinson had a bit of a bumpy ride on the music scene in the late 70's and early 80's. His song (Sing if You're) Glad to Be Gay certainly helped him and his Tom Robinson Band (TRB) reach a much wider audience (even though it was banned by the BBC). And their first album Power in
- [27th November 1978. Harvey Milk assassinated](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/11/27th-november-1978-harvey-milk-assassinated/) - "If a bullet should enter my brain, let that bullet destroy every closet door." Today is the 35th anniversary of the murder of Harvey Milk. He was not the first openly LGBT person to stand for, and win, public office and he most certainly won't be the last. Nonetheless, his campaigns, his victory - and
- [1984. London Lesbian and Gay Centre.](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/12/1984-london-lesbian-and-gay-centre/) - It all began with the publication of the Greater London Council's Changing the World: A London charter for gay and lesbian rights. That, in itself had taken most of us by surprise as it was one of the rare instances of political promises being turned into real action. But when the GLC subsequently allocated three
- [1983. Politics: LGBT Nazis raise their ugly heads](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/11/1983-politics-lgbt-nazis-raise-their-ugly-heads/) - It's an under-statement to say that I can't see why anyone would be a Nazi. And I certainly don't understand why people who have suffered at their hands can admire them. But, sadly, there are a few of these unfortunate individuals out there and, even more sadly, some of them identify as LGBT. One such
- [1987. Film: Maurice](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/11/1987-film-maurice/) - The movie Maurice is a very close adaptation of E M Forster's novel of the same name. Like the book, it starts very slowly and seems pre-occupied with the theological and philosophical debates of a group of upper class Cambridge students in Edwardian England. But the 'theoretical' debates about human nature soon begin to build
- [1981. Music: Sydney Gay Liberation Quire](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/11/1981-music-sydney-gay-liberation-quire/) - The Sydney Gay Liberation Quire was a group of sixteen men who got together in 1981 to promote gay liberation through music. This often involved the re-writing of lyrics of traditional songs to turn them into something much more powerful and subversive (such as 'The Homosexuality Song, sung to the tune of the Mickey Mouse
- [1983. Music: Holly Near. Singing for Our Lives](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/11/1983-music-holly-near-singing-for-our-lives/) - Not the usual hi-energy music that generally appears on this blog, Holly Near's Singing for Our Lives is very much an old fashioned folk song. Why, then, is it appearing on an LGBT blog? Because it was written in response to the assassination of one of our greatest heroes, Harvey Milk (who was murdered 35
- [1984. Politics: Jerry Falwell pays for his bigotry](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/11/1984-politics-jerry-falwell-pays-for-his-bigotry/) - As with most evangelical Christians, Jerry Falwell, founder of the fallaciously named 'Moral Majority', just couldn't keep his bigotry to himself. During a 1984 TV debate with Jerry Sloan, a former classmate from Baptist Bible College, Falwell was accused of attacking the LGBT-friendly Metropolitan Community Church. Amongst other things, Falwell was alleged to have called
- [1984. Politics: Australian Medical Association removes homosexuality from its list of disorders - after a struggle](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/10/1984-politics-australian-medical-association-removes-homosexuality-from-its-list-of-disorders-after-a-struggle/) - Over the centuries homosexuality has been seen variously as a sin, a crime or an illness (and, quite often, all three!). And these notions have persisted right up to the present day. The situation in Australia shows and interesting correlation between perceptions of homosexuality as an illness and perceptions of homosexuality as a crime. In
- [1984. Music: Chaka Khan. I Feel For You](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/10/1984-music-chaka-khan-i-feel-for-you/) - Chaka Khan has certainly had an interesting life:it has included membership of the Black Panther Party, two marriages (and divorces) and regular struggles with drug and alcohol addiction. Throughout it all she's managed to keep pumping out the hits, including 'I Am Every Woman' and this one, written by the artist formerly known as Prince.
- [1980s. Politicians come out](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/10/1980s-politicians-come-out/) - The 1970's saw the election of a number of openly gay or lesbian people to public office in local and regional politics. One of the most notable of these was Harvey Milk in San Francisco, but there were others before and after him: Elaine Noble, for example, is the first recorded openly LGBT person to
- [1983. Music: Eurhythmics. Who's That Girl?](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/10/1983-music-eurhythmics-whos-that-girl/) - Gender-bending rules in this music video! Annie Lennox, best known for her short-haired, suited-up androgyny, goes all girly in this one. But not to worry folks; careful observation will reveal that all is not what it seems! For starters, 'womaniser' Dave Stewart walks in with 80's gender-bender Marilyn (a.k.a. Peter Robinson) on his arm. But
- [October 1982. HIV/AIDS: Australia's first AIDS diagnosis](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/10/october-1982-hivaids-australias-first-aids-diagnosis/) - In October 1982 Professor Ron Penny diagnosed Australia's first case of AIDS, at St. Vincent's Hospital in Sydney. The man was a tourist visiting from the USA and he subsequently returned to Florida. The first diagnosis of an Australian with AIDS occurred six months later in April 1983 in Melbourne. In this case the man
- [1980. Film: Michael, A Gay Son](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/10/1980-film-michael-a-gay-son/) - This 30-minute Canadian film follows Michael Collins as he considers whether or not to come out to his family. It includes a segment shot in a lesbian and gay support group where participants describe their own experiences of coming out as well as help Michael explore how he might handle the issue himself. Then there's
- [1st October 1986. Politics: The Vatican Bans Support to Gays](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/10/1st-october-1986-politics-the-vatican-bans-support-to-gays/) - Recent statements by the latest Pope have led some people to believe that the Catholic Church is taking a more enlightened approach to LGBT people. Of course, compared with what has gone before - many centuries of Vatican persecution of LGBT people - the Pope's suggestion that they make it less of a priority does,
- [1985. Movie: My Beautiful Laundrette](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/09/1985-movie-my-beautiful-laundrette/) - Originally commissioned for broadcast on Britain's Channel Four, the early critical response to this film led to it being released as a feature film in its own right. It's a tale of the racial, sexual and economic politics of Margaret Thatcher's monetarist Britain and the efforts of the various players to survive within that. The
- [1983. Music: New Order. Blue Monday](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/09/1983-music-new-order-blue-monday/) - Blue Monday wasn't one of your usual 'high energy' tracks but it was, from memory, still a very popular dance track in gay clubs. I certainly remember hearing it a lot on the Manchester scene in 1983 (which probably isn't surprising since Manchester was the band's home town). Interesting to see the original video, which
- [1980's. Politics: Ban on gay British diplomats stays in place](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/09/1980s-politics-ban-on-gay-british-diplomats-stays-in-place/) - One of the self-perpetuating problems faced by LGBT public servants over the years was the myth that they represented a 'security risk'. The skewed logic behind this myth was that 'enemy agents' might threaten to expose them as gay if they didn't hand over secret information. Of course, being exposed as gay wouldn't necessarily be
- [1981. Movie: Polyester](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/09/1981-movie-polyester/) - In a career spanning some decades, John Waters works seem to have moved from the utterly outlandish (for example 1972's Pink Flamingos) to the outer margins of mainstream (Hairspray 1988). Polyester, shot in 1981, suggests a slight movement towards the mainstream - although only inasmuch as it has some sort of cohesive storyline. This covers
- [1982. Movie: Home-made Melodrama](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/09/1982-movie-home-made-melodrama/) - This relatively short (55 minutes) movie from British director Jacqui Duckworth covers the lives of three lesbians in a menage-a-trois over a two year period. A low-budget movie that looks at both the personal and political aspects of lesbian relationships, critics have variously described it as "intense", "experimental", "difficult to watch" and "archive gold".
- [1984. Politics: Tasmania jails man for 'homosexual conduct'](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/08/1984-politics-tasmania-jails-man-for-homosexual-conduct/) - The Australian state of Tasmania doesn't have a good track record when it comes to LGBT issues. It was the last Australian state to stop executing men for sodomy (1863). More than a hundred years later it seemed determined to retain its record for the most socially backward state in the country. In 1984 the
- [1982. Not the Gay Olympics](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/04/1982-not-the-gay-olympics/) - 2012 is the year of the London Olympics. It's also the 30th anniversary of the world's first 'Gay Olympic Games' being struck down. In 1982 the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) sought an injunction against the United States Gay Olympic Committee (GOC) to prevent them using the word 'Olympic' to describe an international sporting event
- [1982. Politics: NSW Government ignores anti-discrimination findings](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/08/1982-politics-nsw-government-ignores-anti-discrimination-findings/) - The New South Wales Anti-Discrimination Board (ADB) was established in 1977 as one of the provisions of the Anti-Discrimination Act of that year. Under its original terms, the Act outlawed discrimination on the grounds of sex, race or marital status. Homosexuality was also meant to be included but this was dropped in the face of
- [1980. Music: Diana Ross. I'm Coming Out](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/08/1980-music-diana-ross-im-coming-out/) - Diana Ross coming out? A black, Jewish lesbian? As radical as this may seem, I think we can safely discount it. I'm not really sure what this song is about; Diana's obviously 'coming out' of something (she says it often enough) but I don't think it's the closet! And, I'm guessing, neither did the powers
- [1985. Film: Silent Pioneers](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/08/1985-film-silent-pioneers/) - An important movie of its time and with a message that still resonates today: older lesbians and gay men exist! Not only do we exist but we played our part in making LGBT life what it is today, in a society that was considerably more hostile than it is now. This film talks to many
- [1985/86. HIV/AIDS education on the cheap](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/08/198586-hivaids-education-on-the-cheap/) - From 1985 to 1987 I was involved with Nottingham AIDS Information Project - a voluntary organisation with an annual budget of £1,000 from the local Health Authority. With such limited funds it goes without saying that commitment and creativity was the order of the day! And so it was when it came to producing our
- [1980. Mary Whitehouse and The Romans in Britain](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/08/1980-mary-whitehouse-and-the-romans-in-britain/) - In 1980 the National Theatre produced Howard Brenton's play The Romans in Britain. It was, in reality, a criticism of British troops in Northern Ireland but, for arch homophobe Mary Whitehouse, the only obscenity in the play was two men simulating anal sex. The fact that the act was perpetrated as rape also didn't seem
- [1986. Music: Erasure. Oh L'amour](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/08/1986-music-erasure-oh-lamour/) - In 1985, Andy Bell was working in a meat-packing plant in Peterborough when he answered an ad for a singer. Within a matter of months he was on the way to fame and fortune as one half of synth-pop duo Erasure. Openly gay from the outset, Bell made a point of neither over- nor under-playing
- [How not to run an AIDS information programme. Part Two: 1987](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/07/how-not-to-run-an-aids-information-programme-part-two-1987/) - Australia's reputation as a proactive, world leader in the AIDS field took a significant blow in 1987 when the powers-that-be decided to run with the so-called Grim Reaper campaign. The clip at the end of this post clearly illustrates some of the problems with the overall style of the campaign - the use of fear
- [1985. Music: Seventh Avenue. Love's Gone Mad](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/07/1985-music-seventh-avenue-loves-gone-mad/) - Not sure if Seventh Avenue were officially one of the first gay 'boy bands' but it's hard not to get that impression from the video. They were certainly a big hit in gay clubs and this track was, apparently, a big seller (50,000 copies). However, because it was sold mainly through independent record stores the
- [1983. Film: A Man Like Eva](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/07/1983-film-a-man-like-eva/) - A Man Like Eva is, essentially, a biography of controversial film director Rainer Werner Fassbinder. It is, therefore bizarre, depressing and difficult to understand. In the words of his ex-wife, "Rainer was a homosexual who also needed a woman. It's that simple and that complex." It's certainly the complex bit that comes across in the
- [1982. Liberace's palimony suit begins](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/07/1982-liberaces-palimony-suit-begins/) - In 1982, 24-year old Scott Thorson filed a $133million palimony suit against 'flamboyant' entertainer Liberace, apparently after finding him in bed with another, younger man. Thorson claimed that he had been promised $70,000 a year as well as the use of Liberace's Palm Springs and Beverley Hills homes for life. In return he was required
- [1980's. Glad to be 'broad-minded'?](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/07/1980s-glad-to-be-broad-minded/) - Sydney is a city of many charms, not least of which is its large and very visible LGBT community. And it's been that way for many years: for example, as early as 1984 the annual Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade was drawing tens of thousands of spectators. Despite its rather belated decriminalisation in New
- [1980. Police problems at UK's Lesbian and Gay Pride](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/05/1980-police-problems-at-uks-lesbian-and-gay-pride/) - Anyone who has seen images from London's early Lesbian and Gay Pride Marches (as they were called then) would have been struck by the large numbers of police in attendance. They might even be forgiven for thinking that this large uniformed presence was there for the protection of the marchers. Not so. In the days
- [1982. Music: Sexual Healing. Marvin Gaye](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/07/1982-music-sexual-healing-marvin-gaye/) - Not a specifically gay song (unless you make a pretty lame pun on his surname). Indeed the imagery in this particular video is unrepentantly heterosexual. Nonetheless, there can't be many of us who haven't used Sexual Healing as 'mood music' - either before, during or after sex. Particularly recommended with candlelight. https://youtu.be/GVTN5o9Kgu8
- [1981. Sydney's First Summer Mardi Gras](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/06/1981-sydneys-first-summer-mardi-gras/) - As with Gay Pride events around the globe, Sydney's Gay Mardi Gras was originally held in June to commemorate the Stonewall riots of June 1969. But the connection with the Stonewall riots didn't stop there. Just as the police had attacked protestors in New York, police also attacked protestors at the first Sydney Mardi Gras
- [1981. Movie: Indiana Jones and the mystery of the gay student](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/06/1981-movie-indiana-jones-and-the-mystery-of-the-gay-student/) - It's a scene that lasts less than 30 seconds and yet it's still the subject of speculation more than 30 years on. In an early scene of 1981's Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark, Professor Jones is teaching a class of students, most of whom are watching him in dreamy-eyed adoration. Then
- [The Politics of Drag](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/07/the-politics-of-drag/) - Back in my radical youth, I used to think that drag was, quite unequivocally, 'a bad thing'. To me it was simply men 'pretending' to be women and, in the process, portraying them as shallow and bitchy. My dislike for drag was reinforced by a couple of shows I saw. In 1980 I attended my
- [1986. Challenging the homophobia of the Nottingham Post](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/06/1986-challenging-the-homophobia-of-the-nottingham-post/) - For the first part of the 1980's the Nottingham Post was my local newspaper. It certainly wasn't my choice: Nottingham was a great city but had been blighted by this right-wing, homophobic rag long before my arrival. Unsurprisingly, as lesbian and gay rights began to be rolled out by the City Council, the Post had
- [1982. Movie: Labyrinth of Passion](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/06/1982-movie-labyrinth-of-passion/) - It's hard to believe that this movie was made less than a decade after the death of fascist dictator General Franco and only three years after Spain decriminalised homosexuality. As his second movie, Labyrinth of Passion was already embedded in what was to become Pedro Almodovar's trademark style: larger than life characters on a series
- [1980. Gay Noise](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/06/1980-gay-noise/) - Gay Noise was a fortnightly publication that was produced by a group of gay men in what was then the 'radical gay area' of Railton Road, Brixton, South London. Railton Road had developed into a centre of the gay liberation movement during the 1970's when a number of houses on that road were squatted by
- [1981. What killed gay Soviet writer Yevgeny Kharitonov? ](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/06/1981-what-killed-gay-soviet-writer-yevgeny-khariton/) - As we're only too aware today, life for Russian lesbians and gay men has rarely been easy. The brief period of liberalisation that followed the Russian revolution was quickly replaced by a brutal repression once Joseph Stalin came to power. Article 121 of the Soviet Penal Code - introduced in the 1920's - was still
- [1984. Movie: Another Country](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/05/1984-movie-another-country/) - Another Country is a thinly disguised biography of British double agent Guy Burgess (called Guy Bennett in the movie). Set in the exclusive boarding school of Eton - the training ground of Britain's ruling elite - it is based around the experience of two disaffected students. One of these - 'Bennett' (played by Rupert Everett)
- [1984. Movie: Before Stonewall](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/05/1984-movie-before-stonewall/) - Perhaps it was a sign of our growing sense of identity - or perhaps more people simply had the wherewithal to make movies - but the 1980's seemed to mark a growing interest in our history. 'Before Stonewall' was one of a number of films (for example, the Times of Harvey Milk, and Silent Pioneers)
- [22nd May. Harvey Milk Day.](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/05/22nd-may-harvey-milk-day/) - "Harvey Milk Day is a reminder to put hate and separation in their place, a place of learning of wrongs that have been righted and reminders not to repeat them, a day to create the dream and vision of what is possible, even in the all too many places around the world where it is
- [1982. Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms fails to mention homosexuals](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/05/1982-canadas-charter-of-rights-and-freedoms-fails-to-mention-homosexuals/) - You would be forgiven for thinking that legislation that is claimed to protect the rights of lesbians and gay men would actually mention us somewhere in the wording. For some reason, legislators in Canada didn't feel that this would be necessary. In 1982 they introduced the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Section 15(1) of
- [1985. Music: Whitney Houston. The Greatest Love of All](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/05/1984-music-whitney-houston-the-greatest-love-of-all/) - Was she or was she not Thelma Houston's niece? Some say 'yes'; Thelma Houston, apparently, says 'no'. Was Aretha Franklin her godmother? Some say 'yes', some say 'no'. Was she gay? The verdict remains unclear on that one. If she was, then it would appear she put a lot of effort into concealing it: which
- [1983. Movie: City of Lost Souls](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/05/1983-movie-city-of-lost-souls/) - This low budget German movie from Rosa von Praunheim has something for just about everyone - or, more accurately, everyone with a pretty broad mind. Combining everything from drag, punk and prostitution to cabaret, fast food and Communism, the movie looks like something you'd get if Andy Warhol and John Waters re-shot The Rocky Horror
- [1983. David Bowie changes his mind about being gay.](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/04/1983-david-bowie-changes-his-mind-about-being-gay/) - Back in the hippy-trippy days of the early 70's, a rising young musician by the name of David Bowie was using shock tactics to increase his profile at every opportunity. Drawing upon his theatrical as well as musical experience, Bowie developed an image that was as confronting as it was radical. He adorned the cover
- [1982. Clone Zone](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/04/1982-clone-zone/) - Clone Zone began life as a series of regular market stalls in gay venues in London, Manchester and Blackpool. Right from the outset it stocked a range of goods of interest to the gay community. These included sex toys, club wear, fetish wear, books, magazines and Hi-Energy records. Such was the success of this early
- [1982. The Bookshop, Sydney.](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/04/1982-the-bookshop-sydney/) - Australia's oldest LGBT bookshop began life as a mail order business before moving into premises just off Oxford Street in Sydney in 1982. Two years later it moved into premises on Taylor Square, placing itself at the centre of Oxford Street's transformation into Sydney's gay 'Golden Mile'. Known simply as The Bookshop, it has remained
- [1981. Palimony suit outs Billie Jean King](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/04/1981-palimony-suit-outs-billie-jean-king/) - From the moment she entered professional tennis Billie Jean King started to build a reputation as an equal rights advocate. She was a key instigator of the first women's tennis tournament; organised in response to the huge difference between men and women's prize money in professional tennis tournaments. In 1973 she played a high profile
- [1982. Music: Scherrie Payne. I'm not in love (Girl, you're in love)](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/04/1982-music-scherrie-payne-im-not-in-love-girl-youre-in-love/) - I'm obviously showing my age by opining that this seems like a very long track. But - back in the day - I was happy to bop along to it on the dance floor! This one's a re-make of 10c.c.'s 1970's hit, brought up to date by transforming it into that highly distinctive early 80's
- [1984. The Squarcialupi Report: Europe considers homosexual rights.](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/04/1984-the-squarcialupi-report-europe-considers-homosexual-rights/) - Despite the UK having representatives in the European Economic Community (as it was called then) since joining in 1973, it was only in 1979 that they were democratically elected. Prior to that they were appointed by national MPs. One of the consequences of this overdue shift towards people power was that an element of politics
- [1982. Movie: Pink Triangles - A study of prejudice against lesbians and gay men](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/04/1982-movie-pink-triangles-a-study-of-prejudice-against-lesbians-and-gay-men/) - Produced by a collective of nine straight and gay men and women, Pink Triangles is a 35-minute documentary that also seeks to be a teaching aid on homophobia and discrimination in general. The movie uses a range of resources like ancient documents and old film footage from the Nazi death camps and the McCarthy witch
- [1983. Book: The Penguin Book of Homosexual Verse](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/03/1983-book-the-penguin-book-of-homosexual-verse/) - Penguin's Book of Homosexual Verse received mixed reviews on its publication. This wasn't because of the nature of its subject but because it was perceived to be too much of a mixed bag. Some of it was written by openly homosexual authors such as Walt Whitman; other content - like certain Shakespeare sonnets - was
- [1985. Levi Jeans ad.](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/03/1985-levi-jeans-ad/) - This may seem tame by today's standards but, in 1985, this was something of a breakthrough in advertising. I'm sure Nick Kamen's laundrette striptease not only shifted millions of pairs of Levi's but also greatly boosted the popularity of boxer shorts too! https://youtu.be/Q56M5OZS1A8
- [1984. 'The Family': South Australia's mysterious, murderous homosexuals.](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/03/1984-the-family-south-australias-mysterious-murderous-homosexuals/) - South Australia is known as one of Australia's more conservative states. From the 1960's to the 1980's it also acquired the reputation of being one of the most bloody, after a number of kidnappings and murders of children and young people, many of which remain unresolved today. With such high levels of homicide it was
- [1983. Book: Stanley and the Mask of Mystery](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/03/1983-book-stanley-and-the-mask-of-mystery/) - David Shenton's cartoon character Stanley (Townsend) first came to our attention as the star of his own weekly cartoon strip in Gay News and, subsequently, Capital Gay. Whilst Stanley the cartoon strip documented a series of vignettes from the life of our uber-clone gay hero, Stanley and the Mask of Mystery provided a broader, somewhat
- [1984. Wigstock](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/03/1984-wigstock/) - It's often the case that great things grow spontaneously from humble beginnings - and such was the case with Wigstock. One night, in the Spring of 1984, a group of bored drag 'aficionados' left New York's Pyramid Club and ended up giving impromptu performances on the open air stage in Tompkins Square Park. It wasn't
- [1983. Gay Medical Association AIDS Leaflet](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/03/1983-gay-medical-association-aids-leaflet/) - In 1983 AIDS was still a mysterious - and terrifying - new condition. We were all desperately trying to make sense of it and scrambling for information about symptoms and prevention. Gay and nascent AIDS organisations did what they could to get out what little concrete information there was. As part of this, the Gay
- [1984. Gays, gerbils and Richard Gere.](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/03/1984-gays-gerbils-and-richard-gere/) - Urban myths have an extraordinary capacity to travel and, even more amazingly, be accepted as truth by people who really should know a lot better. The motivation behind them is often a mystery but there's little doubt about the homophobia underlying the infamous 'gays and gerbils' myth. First recorded in 1984, this is a tale
- [1985. Music: Phyllis Nelson. Move Closer](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/02/1985-music-phyllis-nelson-move-closer/) - Basically a one-off UK hit for American singer Phyllis Nelson. Originally released in 1984 it failed to chart but a second attempt in 1985 saw it rise all the way to the Number One spot. Nelson had no further success with new songs - although Move Closer did reach Number 34 in 1994 when it
- [1980's. Queensland's war on homosexuals. Part One](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/02/1980s-queenslands-war-on-homosexuals-part-one/) - The state of Queensland is to Australia what the Deep South is to the USA - the home of a deeply entrenched bigotry. Institutionalized racism towards indigenous Australians has matched that of apartheid South Africa, whilst extensive government resources were devoted to attacking the LGBT community from the 70's onwards. By the 1980's the far-right
- [1985. Music: The Communards. Don't Leave Me This Way](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/02/1985-music-the-communards-dont-leave-me-this-way/) - After leaving upfront gay band Bronski Beat in 1985, Jimmy/Jimi Somerville joined up with classically-trained Richard Coles to form The Communards. Regularly supplemented by other musicians (such as Sarah Jane Morris in the clip below) they produced a series of disco-oriented records with mixed success. Don't Leave Me This Way, based on Thelma Houston's cover
- [1980's. Queensland's war on homosexuals. Part Two.](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/02/1980s-queenslands-war-on-homosexuals-part-two/) - Given the sustained government attacks on the LGBT community throughout the 70's and 80's, the State's response to the emergence of HIV/AIDS will come as no surprise. So firmly entrenched in fundamentalist Christian beliefs, the government responded in purely moralistic terms. As far as they were concerned, it was merely evidence of the national moral
- [1980. Movie: Can't Stop the Music](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/02/1980-movie-cant-stop-the-music/) - This extraordinary vehicle for the hits of the Village People was panned mercilessly on it's release ("Please Stop the Music!"). Even today it's seen as a milestone in the death of Disco. As the following clip shows, it was indeed remarkably cheesy with a somewhat convoluted and superficial storyline. If it has any saving grace
- [1985. Book: Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit ](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/02/1985-book-oranges-are-not-the-only-fruit/) - Jeanette Winterson's first novel - about growing up in England's 'grim North' - proved to be remarkably successful for her. Published in 1985 it won the Whitbread Award for First Novel in the same year. Five years later it was adapted for television by the BBC. The story documents the experiences of a young girl
- [1982. Gays (not) in the Military](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/02/1982-gays-not-in-the-military/) - The history of gays in the US military has been a long and confused one. Right up until World War Two, homosexuality was seen quite unequivocally as a crime for which people could be (and usually were) drummed out of the ranks. From World War Two onwards the official line changed to seeing homosexuality as
- [1981. Movie: Greetings from Washington D.C.](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/01/1981-movie-greetings-from-washington-d-c/) - Greetings from Washington DC was a short documentary about the First National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights, which took place on Sunday, October 14th 1979. It was estimated that some 125,000 people took part. As the first national demonstration of gay and lesbian political strength, marchers made five specific demands on the
- [1982. Music: Culture Club. Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/01/1982-music-culture-club-do-you-really-want-to-hurt-me/) - It's probably all down to a certain George Alan O'Dowd that the term 'gender bender' entered our lives. For it was he who outraged parents and prompted a million headlines around the world when he fronted Culture Club as the sexually ambiguous 'Boy' George. Unsurprisingly, gutter Press like The Sun posted their usual headlines, which
- [1980. Politics: The Last of Gay Left](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/01/1980-politics-the-last-of-gay-left/) - In 1980 the collective of gay men that had produced Gay Left since 1975 announced that they were going to 'pause' publication whilst they considered the best way forward. Perhaps that decision to suspend publication took away an important motivational focus. Or perhaps it was just a lot more difficult to get things re-started once
- [1985. Film: The Angelic Conversation](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/01/1985-film-the-angelic-conversation/) - Derek Jarman's movies rarely failed to incorporate some level of homo-eroticism. It comes as little surprise then, to learn that he described The Angelic Conversation as the work that most closely reflected his own heart. In essence it's little more than a sequence of beautiful young men in various states of undress interacting with each
- [1984. Music: Pet Shop Boys. West End Girls](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/01/1984-music-pet-shop-boys-west-end-girls/) - Were they? Weren't they? Pet Shop Boys' Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe remained coy about their sexuality, even with a string of 'gay-oriented' songs like Young Offender, It's a Sin, and their cover of the Village People's Go West. And then there was their association with an endless string of gays or gay icons from
- [1983. Employment: The Gay Probation Officer](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/12/1983-employment-the-gay-probation-officer/) - The Gay and Lesbian Probation Officer's Group ('Gaypo' as we called ourselves) was established at the 1983 annual conference of the National Association of Probation Officers (NAPO). It was triggered in part by the NAPO Executive's proposal to have members vote on renewing its membership of the Campaign for Homosexual Equality (CHE). This was both
- [1984. Music: Wham. Last Christmas](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/12/1984-music-wham-last-christmas/) - I'm posting this Wham! video for a couple of reasons. The first is simply because its Christmas. The second is to describe the relationship I had with the main performer in 1984. Yes, it's true. Unbelievable as it may seem, George Michael and I were mates with the woman who plays his ex-girlfriend. I think
- [1984. Music: Maria Vidal. Body Rock](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2013/01/1984-music-maria-vidal-body-rock/) - This is the theme tune to the movie of the same name. Frankly, I've never heard of the movie, but that may be explained by the fact that lead actor, Lorenzo Lamas, was nominated for Worst Actor at the Golden Raspberry Awards. I also have an awful feeling that the following clip contains 'actual footage'
- [1983. Gay News is No News](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/04/1983-gay-news-is-no-news/) - "The original Gay News collapsed on 15th April 1983 within two months of its 11th birthday. A 52 page tabloid, selling about 18,000 copies a fortnight, it was a business with a turnover of some £450,000 a year and employing at the height 23 people. The collapse has been variously attributed to the financial demands
- [1981. Capital Gay](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/08/1981-capital-gay/) - On 26th June, 1981, Graham McKerrow and Michael Mason (a former director and news editor of Gay News) published the first issue of Capital Gay. It was London's first city-wide gay newspaper. The free paper was published weekly and distributed through pubs, clubs, bookshops and other gay-friendly outlets. Despite it's name, it's distribution area also
- [1985. Theatre: The Normal Heart](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/12/1985-theatre-the-normal-heart/) - One of the earliest plays to address AIDS, The Normal Heart was Larry Kramer's furious admonition of those he saw as muting the response to the mounting crisis. Its central character is Ned, an activist who is desperately trying to organise an effective response to the mysterious condition that is killing increasing numbers of gay
- [1985. Film: Kiss of the Spider Woman](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/12/1985-film-kiss-of-the-spider-woma/) - In what was considered a somewhat risque career choice back in 1985, William Hurt played a gay Brazilian man who's imprisoned for sex with an underage boy. Through no fault of his own, his character - Luis Molina - is presented as effeminate, shallow and politically naive. Yes, that tiresome stereotyping of us faggots. As
- [1985. Theatre: Noel Greig. Best of Friends](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/11/1985-theatre-noel-greig-best-of-friends/) - Noel Grieg was an exceptional playwright renowned for producing high quality plays on a wide range of social issues, many involving themes around sexuality. As Time Goes By (1977) documents segments of gay history from Victorian London to the Stonewall riots. The Dear Love of Comrades (1979) tells the story of radical gay socialist Edward
- [1988. The first World AIDS Day. ](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/12/1988-the-first-world-aids-day/) - The concept of World AIDS Day was actually developed in 1987 but wasn't formally 'declared' until an international conference of health ministers in London in 1988. It's key architects were James Bunn and Thomas Netter who were on secondment to the World Health Organisation's AIDS programme at the time. Apparently it's now the longest-running disease
- [1984. Miquel Brown: He's a Saint, He's a Sinner](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/11/1984-miquel-brown-hes-a-saint-hes-a-sinner/) - We obviously lived in more innocent times in those days. According to the You Tube blurb accompanying this video, the switchboards were jammed with complaints following the airing of this clip in 1984. The sexy dancers were brought in to cover the fact that Miquel Brown couldn't jive around as usual as she'd just come
- [1982. Book: A Boy's Own Story. Edmund White.](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/11/1982-book-a-boys-own-story-edmund-white-2/) - Edmund White's novel is an important new work about American gay adolescence. Set in the mid-West of the 1950's, the book is written from the perspective of the narrator looking back on his early teens and traces the development of his gay identity. It may comes as a shock to find the hero fucking with
- [1983. Music: Earlene Bentley. The Boys Come to Town ](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/11/183-music-earlene-bentley-the-boys-come-to-town/) - I'm afraid this is the best that's available on You Tube for this High energy number - a static picture of two cowboys in their undies! There's probably a good explanation somewhere (and I'm not really complaining!). https://youtu.be/5gjZx0lTRXc
- [27th November. Harvey Milk.](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/11/27th-november-harvey-milk/) - "If a bullet should enter my brain, let that bullet destroy every closet door in the country." Harvey Milk was assassinated on November 27th, 1978. "The other aspect of this tape is the business of what should happen if there is an assassination. I cannot prevent some people from feeling angry and frustrated and mad,
- [1984. Film: The Times of Harvey Milk.](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/11/1984-film-the-times-of-harvey-milk/) - Question: How do you get off a charge of premeditated double murder? Answer: Make sure one of your victims is homosexual then claim to have eaten a lot of junk food before you committed the crime. And so it was with the assassination of one of our community's greatest ever leaders, Harvey Milk. Dan White,
- [1980. Gay Comix.](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/11/1980-gay-comix/) - In the early years of my coming out I felt it necessary to immerse myself in as much gay literature as I could (partly, I must admit, to find evidence to re-assure myself that being gay was OK). And so it was that I read such weighty tomes as The Theory and Practice of Homosexuality,
- [1984. Ryan White](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/12/1984-ryan-white/) - On 17th December 1984, 13-year old Ryan White was diagnosed with AIDS. A haemophiliac, he had contracted the virus from a blood transfusion he had received when he was only six days old. In the parlance of the ignorant and bigoted he was an 'innocent' victim - yet this did not stop the most appalling
- [1981. Music. Soft Cell: Tainted Love](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/11/1981-music-soft-cell-tainted-love/) - Soft Cell worked hard to cultivate an image of sleaze, with albums titles like Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret and This Last Night in Sodom. I'm not sure what sleazy image they're trying to promote here in the official video for their first big hit, Tainted Love: Marc Almond's pawing of the young girl seems almost paedophilic
- [1983. Nottingham Council goes gay (-ish)](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/11/1983-nottingham-council-goes-gay-ish/) - It was Nottingham Labour Party's worst nightmare. Barely three months after Peter Tatchell had lost the Bermondsey by-election due to a homophobic campaign by his opponents, an openly gay candidate was standing in the local council elections. Once again, the Party's principles were under pressure and, once again, not everyone felt they should be adhered
- [1985. Movie: Westler](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/11/1985-movie-westler/) - Westler is a movie about the growing relationship between two gay men in Berlin. But, despite living in the same city, they each inhabit different worlds, for these are the days when the infamous Wall divided the city. And Felix lives in the West whereas Thomas is trapped in the East. As if to highlight
- [1985. Greater London Council: 'Changing the World'](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/10/1985-greater-london-council-changing-the-world/) - I don't think it would be incorrect to say that the Great London Council's commitment to lesbian and gay rights caught a lot of people by surprise. A lot of us had been very active fighting the good fight within the Labour Party and the Liberal Party. But it was an uphill struggle and there
- [1982. The Terrence Higgins Trust](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/10/1982-the-terrence-higgins-trust/) - On July 4th, 1982, Terry Higgins died from AIDS - or GRID (Gay Related Immune Deficiency) as it was known at that time. As one of the first people to contract the illness in the UK, his experience - and that of those close to him - was an extremely harrowing one. The cause, treatment
- [1984. Valentine's Day: Elton John marries (a woman)](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/10/1984-valentines-day-elton-john-marries-a-woman/) - Having declared himself to be bi-sexual in 1976, it came as a bit of a shock to some people when Elton John held a very public wedding to German recording engineer Renate Blauel in 1984. It's always easy to say in retrospect 'we knew it wouldn't work' but, in this case, the writing did seem
- [1985. Tom Robinson marries a woman.](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/10/1985-tom-robinson-marries-a-woman/) - British singer Tom Robinson rose to fame in the late 70's, in part as a result of his song (Sing If You're) Glad to be Gay. With a title as assertive and unambiguous as that, it was little surprise that both he and his song were embraced by gays and lesbians everywhere. And Robinson himself
- [1983. Music. Hazell Dean: Searchin'](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/10/1983-music-hazell-dean-searchin/) - Hazzell Dean was one of the many artists who was well known on the gay club circuit before coming to prominence in the mainstream music industry. Searchin' is a classic illustration of this. Released originally in June 1983, it became popular on the 'Hi-Nrg' playlists in gay and lesbian clubs but failed to make any
- [1984. Music. Evelyn Thomas: High Energy.](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/10/1984-music-evelyn-thomas-high-energy/) - Hi Energy was a particular style of disco that was all the rage in the early 80's. But I can't help thinking that this particular offering is actually the opposite of what the name suggests. Whilst it's certainly danceable, I'd say it's more Pleasant Plod than Hi Energy! https://youtu.be/c6uVXJ3x2Sk
- [1980. Art: Keith Haring](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/08/1980-art-keith-haring/) - Keith Haring's vibrant line drawings made their first 'public' appearance in the early 80's as graffiti in New York's subway stations. At a time when spray-paint graffiti 'taggers' were costing the then bankrupt city of New York $54million a year in cleaning costs, Haring took a different approach: drawing his images in chalk on the
- [1981. Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp.](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/09/1981-greenham-common-womens-peace-camp/) - According to the tabloid media of the time, the women of Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp were all 'Leftie lesbians'. Apparently they meant this as a bad thing. Unsurprisingly, this was not entirely true: heterosexual women and those of a lesser Left-leaning persuasion also took part. However, in the bizarre logic of the pro-nuclear lobby,
- [1985. Movie: The Color Purple](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/09/1985-movie-the-color-purple/) - Alice Walker's book The Color Purple became a massive best-seller when it was published, so it was little surprise that there was great interest in turning it into a movie. Sadly, that role fell to Steven Spielberg. More comfortable with mechanical sharks and little boys with extra-terrestrial chums, Spielberg wasn't the right person to bring
- [1983. Gay East Midlands: The Stories Behind the Stories.Issue 1.](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/09/1983-gay-east-midlands-the-stories-behind-the-stories-issue-1/) - It seemed like a good idea at the time: setting up a local LGBT newspaper at a time when our only national publication - Gay News - was in crisis. The fact that none of us had the slightest experience of the practicalities didn't seem to be an issue at that stage! But then the
- [1980. Movie: Taxi Zum Klo](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/04/1980-movie-taxi-zum-klo/) - Taxi Zum Klo (or 'Taxi to the Toilet' in English) was a bit of a hair-raiser in it's day - and is still likely to have an impact, even on our more robust 21st-century sensibilities. I saw the movie in the early 80's so can't remember the specific storyline. However, I do remember a number
- [1982. Movie: Making Love](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/03/movie-making-love/) - In 1982 Twentieth Century Fox released 'Making Love', one of the first Hollywood movies that didn't treat gays as sick, sad or dangerous. The film starred the hunky Harry Hamlin as an 'out' gay man and the equally cute Michael Ontkean, as a married man who, unbeknownst to his wife, has casual sex with other
- [Send in the Clones](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/03/clone-ly-planet/) - Don't ask me why it started, but by the beginning of the 80's 'the clone' was beginning to become a universal phenomenon (and I don't mean Dolly the sheep!). Some commentators suggest the first clones appeared in San Francisco's Castro Street; others that they came from New York's 'Village'. Either way, by the 80's the
- [1982. Screaming Teenage Perverts](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/03/1982-screaming-teenage-perverts/) - OK, the full title should be "'Screaming',from the movie 'Framed Youth: Revenge of the Teenage Perverts'", but you try getting that into a readable title! Anyway, 'Framed Youth' was produced in 1982 by the London Lesbian and Gay Youth Video Project. The full version can be viewed here on the blog of Upekshapriya, (probably better
- [1981. Book: The Celluloid Closet](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/04/1981-book-the-celluloid-closet/) - The Celluloid Closet grew out of Vito Russo's work as a gay activist and film historian. In the early 70's he put together a presentation based on clips from movies that featured homosexual characters or themes. He toured the USA with this - often as a fund-raiser for the newly formed Gay Activists Alliance -
- [1980s. Gender benders](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/05/1980s-gender-benders/) - The 1980s saw a new expression added to the English language - 'gender bender'. The concept itself - adopting some dress codes of the opposite sex, as opposed to straightforward cross-dressing - was far from new. Marlene Dietrich had done it in the 40's when she appeared in a man's evening suit and top hat.
- [1981. Book: Reflections of a Rock Lobster](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/05/1981-book-reflections-of-a-rock-lobster/) - In 1980, US high school student Aaron Fricke took Cumberland High School in Rhode Island to court for the right to bring a male date to the school prom. It was an extraordinarily brave thing to do given both his age and the social climate of that time. Nonetheless he stuck to his guns and
- [1981. June 5th - First notification](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/06/1981-first-notification/) - On June 5th 1981, the US Centers for Disease Control published the first official notification of five cases of Pneumocystis Carinii pneumonia (PCP) in previously healthy young gay men, two of whom had died. Up until that time PCP had not usually affected younger people and the effects were rarely fatal. The cause was unknown
- [Music. Gloria Gaynor: I Will Survive](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/06/music-gloria-gaynor-i-will-survive/) - OK, I admit this song was originally released in 1978 but with the advent of HIV/AIDS it became the rallying cry of the 80's. The first person with AIDS that I ever met was Bobbi Campbell (the so-called 'AIDS Poster Boy') in San Francisco in 1983. I remember quite distinctly him wearing a button in
- [1983. Music. Frankie Goes to Hollywood: Relax!](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/09/1983-music-frankie-goes-to-hollywood-relax/) - Released in 1983, Relax didn't fare particularly well in the music charts until the band appeared on UK TV show Top of the Pops on 5th January 1984. This prompted a rapid rise up the charts to the Number 6 position. But what really pushed it to the Number One spot was the BBC's decision
- [1980. Book: The Playbook for Kids About Sex](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/08/1980-book-the-playbook-for-kids-about-sex/) - There are some people who feel that adults should be open and honest with children when they ask about sex. And there are some people who don't. And then there's former Conservative MP Jill Knight. She was one of the key players in the introduction of Britain's notorious Clause 28, which prohibited local authorities from
- [1982. Music: It's Raining Men](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/08/1982-music-its-raining-men/) - The Weather Girls (Martha Wash & Izora Armstead) managed to top the UK singles chart for two weeks with this little number. To the best of my knowledge they never had another hit, but at least this one brings back fond memories of scantily-clad 'angels' prancing around. And they were clearly very keen to get
- [1984. Music. Eartha Kitt: I Love Men](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/08/1984-music-eartha-kitt-i-love-men/) - Born into extreme poverty - allegedly as the result of the rape of her black mother by a white farmer - Eartha Kitt went on to become a major show business legend. By the early 50's she had established herself as a renowned singer and actor and was mixing with the likes of Orson Welles.
- [1983. Establishing a gay community newspaper.](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/08/1983-establishing-a-gay-community-newspaper/) - By the end of 1982 Gay News - Britain's only national gay and lesbian paper - was looking increasingly shaky. The internal disputes had become so bad that, as one commentator put it, 'they made up an increasingly large percentage of the paper's news content'. The collapse of such an important publication isn't good news
- [1980s. Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/05/1980s-armistead-maupins-tales-of-the-city/) - I really struggled to get into Tales of the City. Had it not been for the fact that I was stuck on a boat trip with the book and a lot of spare time, I'm not sure I would have finished it. But I'm glad I did. The short chapters - which had originally irritated
- [1984. Music: Bronski Beat, Smalltown Boy](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/06/1984-music-bronski-beat-smalltown-boy/) - Smalltown Boy tells the tale of a young gay man who packs up and heads for London in response to homophobic violence in his (un-named) home town. It's supposedly based on the experiences of lead singer Jimmy (Jimi/Jimmi) Somerville, who quit the Scottish city of Glasgow in search of a better (and safer) life down
- [1983. Book: Jenny Lives with Eric and Martin](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/06/1983-book-jenny-lives-with-eric-and-martin/) - Jenny Lives with Eric and Martin was created by Danish author Susanne Bosche as a resource to facilitate discussion with children about homosexuality . To the British media, it was nothing more than a homosexual recruiting manual that sought to undermine Western civilisation as we know it. The fact that the English language version was
- [1983. Peter Tatchell and the Bermondsey By-election](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/07/1983-peter-tatchell-and-the-bermondsey-by-election/) - "I was by far the most popular candidate at the start of the election campaign, yet lost heavily on polling day." So said Peter Tatchell, in an article written for Capital Gay, ten years after the infamous Bermondsey by-election in South East London. Tatchell had, indeed, begun the campaign as favourite to succeed sitting Labour
- [1983. NATO's 'gay scandal'](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/08/1983-natos-gay-scandal/) - When Gunter Kiessling died in 2009, obituaries repeatedly referred to him as being the cause of a 'sex scandal' in NATO in 1983. Call me naive, but I always thought the defining element of a sex scandal would be sex. In the case of Gunter Kiessling this didn't seem to be the case: the 'scandal'
- [1982. Art exhibition: Extended Sensibilities](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/07/1982-art-exhibition-extended-sensibilities/) - Presented at New York's New Museum of Contemporary Art in 1982, the full title of the exhibition was Extended Sensibilities: Homosexual Presence in Contemporary Art. To some commentators it was seen as a turning point in perceptions of 'gay art'. To others there was simply nothing gay about it. 'Gay art' had, up until that
- [1982. Movie: Victor/Victoria](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/07/1982-movie-victorvictoria/) - Set in 1930's Paris, Victoria/Victoria is a film that, to quote Wikipedia, "involves homosexuality, transvestism and sexual identity as its central themes". Something for everyone, then! The storyline revolves around Victoria, a struggling nightclub singer. On the brink of destitution she encounters 'Toddy', a gay, down-at-heel cabaret performer, who comes up with an ingenious scheme
- [1983. Movie: Lianna](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/07/1983-movie-lianna/) - "...Lianna is about a subject that only yesterday was called explosive, and that even now is not all that commonplace..." This quote from a New York Times film critic gives an indication of the social climate at the time of the movie's release: lesbians were no longer frightening the horses but they were still deemed
- [1982. Hall Carpenter Archives](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/07/1982-hall-carpenter-archives/) - In 1980 the UK's Campaign for Homosexual Equality established a media monitoring service - the Gay Monitoring and Archive Project (GMAP) - to collect evidence of discrimination and police arrests. GMAP's collection grew quickly. In the first instance it received a regular supply of clippings from a press cuttings agency, as well as other material
- [1982. Movie: Querelle](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/07/1982-movie-querelle/) - Based on Jean Genet's novel Querelle de Brest, the movie starred Brad Davis as the eponymous, amoral character. The French version of the movie poster (right) left no doubt as to one of the movie's key themes. (US and UK posters simply had him leaning against a plain brick wall). But it was sex that
- [1983. Musical: La Cage Aux Folles](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/07/1983-musical-la-cage-aux-folles/) - The original inspiration for this Broadway musical was the 1978 French film of the same name which, in turn, was based on a 1973 stage play. The storyline centres around Jean-Michel, the 24-year old biological son of Georges, a gay man who raised the boy with his lifelong male partner Albin. When Jean-Michel announces he
- [1980 and 1982. The 1967 Sexual Offences Act](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/07/1980-and-1982-the-1967-sexual-offences-act/) - The 1967 Sexual Offences Act was a landmark piece of British legislation that de-criminalised sex between consenting males over the age of 21. Despite it's many flaws (including the fact that the sex had to take place behind locked doors and involve no more that two adult males) it was seen as an important step
- [1983. Donna Summer, Homophobe?](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/06/1983-donna-summer-homophobe/) - It all seemed to be going so well for ‘disco diva’ Donna Summer. After eight years of success as the queen of the disco scene she had moved out of the club circuit and was now playing large theatres and arenas. The gay community had helped build her career by buying – by the truckload
- [1982. Coming Out at Home](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/06/1982-coming-out-at-home/) - By the middle of 1982 I had read almost every gay-positive book that I could get my hands on. These included The Theory and Practice of Homosexuality by John Hart and Diane Richardson, Dennis Altman's Homosexual: Oppression and Liberation and Jeffrey Week's Coming Out: Homosexual Politics in Britain from the Nineteenth Century to the Present
- [1982. Sylvester: Do you wanna funk?](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/03/1982-sylvester-do-you-wanna-funk/) - Sylvester was a bit of a disco pioneer, as well as being a high-profile drag performer. In consequence, he was one of the first people to be known as the 'queen of disco' - a title that was subsequently applied to Gloria Gaynor and Donna Summer (who managed to really get the gay community offside
- [1980s. The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/06/1980s-the-sisters-of-perpetual-indulgence/) - The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence (SPI) were first unleashed on the world at the end of 1979 in San Francisco (where else?). The four founding members were known as Sister Vicious Power Hungry Bitch (or, more commonly, Vicious PHB), Reverend Mother, Sister Missionary Position and Sister Hysterectoria-Agnes. Their stated mission was "to promulgate universal joy
- [1982. Sexuality and Social Work. What causes heterosexuality?](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/05/1982-sexuality-and-social-work-what-causes-heterosexuality/) - I was very active in gay politics by the time I started my Masters Degree in Social Work in 1982. It was almost inevitable, therefore, that I should start to rattle the School of Social Work's cage when it came to putting LGBT issues on the academic agenda. To say that the School didn't see
- [1983. Miquel Brown: So Many Men, So Little Time.](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/05/1983-miquel-brown-so-many-men-so-little-time/) - I still wince when I think about the title and timing of this song. Upon it's release it was adopted by the gay male community as an anthem for the sexual freedom of that time. Within a matter of months it's meaning had become a lot more ambiguous. Sadly, it could also be read as,
- [1983. Movie: The Fourth Man (De Vierde Man)](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/05/1983-movie-the-fourth-man-de-vierde-man/) - This erotic thriller from Dutch director Paul Verhoeven tells the tale of bi-sexual alcoholic writer Gerard and his escapades with a murderous widow and her hunky boyfriend. It begins when Gerard has a one night stand with said widow, Christine, then moves on to his plans to bed her boyfriend Herman. But it quickly becomes
- [1983. On being a sex offender in jail](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/05/1983-on-being-a-sex-offender-in-jail/) - Built in the 1820's, Leicester Prison is said to have the highest brick walls in the United Kingdom. Another notable feature is about twenty feet up the side of the front turret - a little door with a short beam protruding from the wall just above it. It was from this beam that people were
- [1980. The year of the homosexual psychopath](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/04/1980-the-year-of-the-homosexual-psychopath/) - 1980 saw the release of two movies that became the target of gay rights protestors. The protests during and after the making of William Friedkin's Cruising received global coverage. Those triggered by the movie Windows received less publicity, even though they both had the same theme - gays and lesbians as psychopathic killers. Cruising was
- [1982. Movie: Personal Best](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/04/1982-movie-personal-best/) - Was it a sports movie? A lesbian movie? Or soft porn for straight men? The critics (gay and straight) were divided in their response to this movie about the on and off-field relationship between two female athletes. On the one hand, the way the relationship developed between the two female leads was felt to be
- [1982. Grace Jones: My Jamaican Guy](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/04/1982-grace-jones-my-jamaican-guy/) - Grace Jones' extraordinary combination of glamour and androgyny made her a big favourite with the gay community. Never one for understatement, she mixed with the likes of Andy Warhol and Robert Mapplethorpe. Every performance, album cover and video was - and still is - a work of art. Eat your heart out Madonna! https://youtu.be/nhMA6attV0Y I
- [1980. My First Gay Book](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/04/1980-my-first-gay-book/) - In 1980 there were very few UK bookshops that stocked gay titles. Those that did limited their selection to 'the classics' such as The Well of Loneliness, rather than contemporary gay writing. The situation was compounded by the fact that both gay and feminist publishing houses were very much in their infancy. For example, The
- [1980. The Red Fag Flying: Gay in the Labour Party](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/03/keeping-the-red-fag-flying-gay-in-the-labour-party/) - I was still a member of the Labour Party when I moved to Nottingham in 1980. It seemed like a good idea at the time! But any hopes of political activity were soon washed away by the mind-numbing blandness of local Party meetings. The central agenda item always seemed to be a request to buy
- [1981. 'Bent'](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/2012/03/bent/) - In 1981 the play 'Bent' by Martin Sherman went on it's UK tour and I was fortunate enough to see it in Nottingham. Inspired by 'The Men with the Pink Triangles' - the biography of gay Holocaust survivor Heinz Heger - it is an extraordinarily powerful portrayal of Nazi brutality and the lengths people will

## Pages

- [A Pivotal Era in LGBT History?](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/) - While there have, undoubtedly, been significant milestones in LGBT history in earlier decades, I believe the 80s was a particularly important period. That decade saw a major shift towards the emergence of a global gay culture. The gay genie came right out of its little pink bottle and into the streets (and the media...and politics...and
- [Purchase History](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/checkout/purchase-history/)
- [Book](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/book/) - Buy the Book! I've now written a detailed 267-page book about the people, issues and events that made the 1980s such a significant period in queer history. It's also called Gay in the 80s and you can download the PDF version here. The hard copy is now available only from Gay's the Word bookshop -
- [Purchase Confirmation](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/checkout/purchase-confirmation/) - Thank you for your purchase!
- [Checkout](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/checkout/)
- [Gay East Midlands](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/gay-east-midlands/) - Gay East Midlands (GEM) was a monthly magazine printed and published in Nottingham, England from 1983 to 1984. Downloadable PDFs of each issue can be found here on the Nottinghamshire Rainbow Heritage website. It was initiated by me and produced entirely by volunteers - none of whom had any previous experience in writing or publishing. This lack
- [Each Issue of GEM](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/gay-east-midlands/each-issue-of-gem/) - Issue 1 – June 1983 EDITORIAL Introducing 'Gay East Midlands' NEWS Gay Activist Elected to City Council Gay Centre for Nottingham? But Manchester Gay Centre to close? 'Gay News' to be revived? Triple blow for Nottingham Switchboard Midland 'FLAGS' out! Warwick University gay week 'We are the experts' Derby Youth Group HEALTH A.I.D.S. INTERVIEW Tom
- [The Author (incl. Contact)](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/about/) - Contact: here (Email: colin[at]gayinthe80s.com) A Personal Take on Queer History Hopefully I've explained the reason for this blog in the Home page. So this bit is essentially about what I did and where I was during the 80s by way of explanation as to the source of some of the material. In a nutshell, I
- [Links](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/links/) - The Way We Were - an LGBT history blog of the Gay Activist page Gay Activist - a UK-based blog on all things LGBT. Tell Me David - David Hunt, a former print and broadcast journalist, covers a wide range of queer issues from the 60s, 70s and 80s in the USA. Harvey
- [Book Purchase](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/book-purchase/) - Thank you for buying Gay in the 80s. I hope you find it of interest and value. You should receive an email in a short while with download instructions. If you don't, please contact me here and I will look into it as soon as possible. Colin Clews
- [Thank You](https://www.gayinthe80s.com/thank-you/) - Thank you for registering for the Perversion to Pride course on Saturday, 6th February, 2016. The venue is Office A, Dales Brewery, Gwydir Street, Cambridge, CB1 2LJ. The course begins at 10.00 am. In order to make a timely start I'd be grateful if you could arrive at the venue by 9.45 am. If you

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