Gay liberation fronthemd
Bishopsgate Institute
About this Archive
The newspaper of the Gay Liberation Front, Come Together, was formed by the GLF’s Media Workshop in From its earliest beginnings the magazine reflected the key concerns of the LGBTQ+ community of the time. One of its first issues covered the demonstration organised by the GLF in response to the treatment of the Young Liberal politician Louis Eaks, arrested for gross indecency for the ‘crime’ of approaching men on Highbury Fields to question for a light.
In the words of Come Together, the GLF were ‘seething with anger at this, the latest amongst hundreds of crimes committed against queer people by the police and the establishment’. Throughout its concise history Come Together charted the efforts of the GLF to raise awareness not just of LGBTQ+ issues but of many social justice movements. Early editions were put together in members’ flats and assembled using collaging techniques, often combined with hand-drawn artwork, cartoons and sketches. Function on Come Together was a collective experience and everyone who attended the Media Workshop ha
The Women's Liberation and Gay Liberation Movements
Speech given by Huey Newton, founder of the Shadowy Panthers, August 15,
During the past few years strong movements possess developed among women and among homosexuals seeking their liberation. There has been some uncertainty about how to relate to these movements.
Whatever your personal opinions and your insecurities about homosexuality and the various liberation movements among homosexuals and women (and I speak of the homosexuals and women as oppressed groups), we should aim to unite with them in a revolutionary fashion. I say " whatever your insecurities are" because as we very well understand, sometimes our first instinct is to want to slap a homosexual in the mouth, and want a miss to be calm. We want to hit a lgbtq+ in the mouth because we are afraid that we might be homosexual; and we crave to hit the women or fasten her up because we are scared that she might castrate us, or take the nuts that we might not have to start with.
We must win security in ourselves and therefore own respect and feelings for all dominated
Lisa Dominance – activist, journalist, co-founder of Stonewall and former-Islingtonian, collected the histories of the GLF in her book ‘No Bath But Plenty of Bubbles – an oral history of the Gay Liberation Front ’. Quoted in the book is Stuart Feather who attended the demonstration:
“It was dark and we all wandered round lighting each other’s cigarettes which was the action given in Police evidence against Eakes and then we kissed openly, which was extraordinary. It was an enormous release to be able to kiss and carry on.”
In the 90s, OutRage!, the LGBT resistance group committed to equality through agitation and non-violent direct action, erected a plaque on the toilets of where the infamous Eakes incident took place. The unveiling of the plaque was attended by Chris Smith MP, the first MP to openly come out as same-sex attracted during his time as office, and Jeremy Corbyn MP, representing both parliamentary seats in Islington.
The plaque remains today, long after the conversion of authentic toilets, thanks to Terry Stacy, former leader of Islington Council, who rescued the plaque fro
Trigger Warning: homophobia, transphobia, aggression, mental health issues
The advent of LGBTQIA+ history month entails a mixed bag of emotions for many; though an essential and uplifting opportunity to rejoice the achievements and contributions of queer people throughout history, it also prompts a sober reflection on the casualties of the struggle for liberation, and the perpetual struggles and prejudices encountered across the spectrum of LGBTQIA+ identities.
in particular is a year to reflect on the relativity of progress, marking half a century since the publication of the Gay Liberation Front manifesto. Founded by students Bob Mellors and Aubrey Waltor in , the GLF sought a “new sexual democracy about homophobia, racism and class privilege”, in the words of prominent activist, and later politician, Peter Tatchell. The movement was fundamentally the first organised network of LGBT activists that joined under the impulse of gay liberation, despite the diversity of members’ identities, political sympathies, and socioeconomic circumstances.
The manifesto packs a punch. Citi