Q: What do you believe is the value of documenting and celebrating past struggles to movements now? History is often told by those who have the luxury to write it, and this is why I say “herstory,” because I wanted it to be written from a feminist perspective. One of the examples is Carla Toney’s story in the Trafalgar Square chapter, the first woman and lesbian to make a speech at the first GLF youth demonstration in 1971. And her story had never been written down in a book. Glass: It was a balance between 65 interviews with some of the legendary founders of Pride and the early members of the Gay Liberation Front along with multiple pioneers in social justice movements, who continue their journey for justice for all, and my own experience. The autobiographical elements came through speaking with my twin sister and finally allowing myself to remember what I went through as a child living under Section 28, the ruthless and barbaric legislation that wiped our identities as queers out of existence. I wanted to include all the unfurling and unleashing that happened since then on the streets and raves and bedrooms across London, and also uncover icons throughout history and across the world who paved the way for the Gay Liberation Front. This is why I say ‘herstory’ because I want to centre a feminist perspective through human-centred stories, that spark the flames for mass transformation for all. This is what can happen when we tell our own stories. NOTCHES: (re)marks on the history of sexuality is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

So engagingly written. A fabulous work of love and defiance. It documents and honours extraordinary and everyday struggles for personal and collective freedom, in a city of dreams and nightmares but so many delights!'Sharings from Andrew Lumsden, GLF activist and original Gay News editor in tribute to Eric Thompson (1934-2022) I’ve struggled with my own depression for a long time. When I started connecting with my queer ancestry, I couldn’t get enough. I was so hungry to see the power of owning our roots and celebrating the ancestors whose shoulders we stand on, who fought for our existence today.

We speak to Dan Glass about his new book, Queer Footprints: A Guide to Uncovering London’s Fierce History, which explores London’s queer history through mapped walking tours, informed by archival research and interviews with activists and volunteers involved in LGBTQIA+ movements over the decades. Stacey Clare, author of 'The Ethical Stripper: Sex, Work and Labour Rights in the Night-time Economy' I would really like to do Queer Footprints collaborations in countries where it’s more at the sharp end of the knife because if we’re looking at equalising liberation across the world, then we need to do more work with [those] communities. To be able to do this in Russia, for example, or Palestine or in Uganda with my friends there who are challenging the latest tyranny. Queer Footprints is our invitation to take up space! Get your towel out, take to your garden, your favourite park or somewhere comfortable to read the book.

Authors

That hugely inspiring stories of queer love, connection and community power are everywhere. I am still buzzing from the Queer Footprints book launch and panel at the fab Outhouse in Dublin a few months ago. Fast forward: in 2004 ‘Pride in London’ was officially changed from a protest to a parade, instantly de-politicising its purpose, as if there is nothing left to fight for. This is intentional. It is not helpful for people to question power. It is not helpful for ordinary people to be conscious. Glass: Ooooh controversial one. I left out a lot of movement tactics that relate to ‘identity politics.’ Not the kind of identity politics that results in positive affirmation of marginalised communities, but the kind of identity politics that result in a reductive ‘oppression olympics’, a race-to-the-bottom understanding of change-making whereby everyone ends up at a dead-end road. An essential and extensive guide through the spaces in London which have enabled change across the world… All told with the enthusiasm and wonder of one of the most passionate and creative queer activists in the UK, Dan Glass'

An intersectional approach is not just vital on a moral level, it’s vital on a political level. The powers that be thrive on separating us and not letting us connect. We’re all impacted by the same dominator culture of patriarchal, sexist, homophobic, racist, ableist violence – we’re all affected within that framework, so we all have to work together on the ground. It’s deeply powerful – lesbians and gays supporting the miners is a classic example of the strength of movements coming together, which helps people humanise each other as well as being deeply politically effective. Ever wanted to learn more about the pulsing heart of queer London’s Soho? Dan Glass, author of Queer Footprints: A Guide to Uncovering London’s Fierce History, is here to guide you.

Events

Dan Glass, London’s unofficial queer mayor, takes you bar and history hopping through former gay ghettos and new queer spaces. The oral histories Glass obtained from those who were there, much like hidden gems on less travelled side streets, bring his guide to vibrant life' They have helped fight for, and won, PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) – medication taken to prevent HIV – to be mainstreamed and available and catalysing huge public awareness campaigns to destigmatise HIV across Ireland. Not only was it deeply inspiring to learn about the seismic achievements of the LGBTQ+ and healthcare movements here but also learning about Queer Icons in Dublin! NOTCHES: Whose stories or what topics were left out of your book and why? What would you include had you been able to?

LSE Library has been home to the Hall-Carpenter Archives since 1988. It’s an extensive collection of archives, ephemera and printed material documenting the development of gay activism in the UK since the 1950s.One of my favourite case studies is Carla Toney in the Trafalgar Square chapter. Carla was the first woman and lesbian to make a speech at the first Gay Liberation Front demo in 1971, the year before the first Pride. Her story has never been written down in a book. History is often told by those who have the luxury to write it. I wanted to do Queer Footprints partly because the pandemic happened: we couldn’t do Queer Tours. I really wanted to challenge myself by writing it and expand Queer Tours into a written format. I was also aware that a lot of the people who I’m really inspired by are getting old and I wanted to record their stories. A buoyant and enlivening jaunt through London's radical queer history. Dan Glass uses wit and passion to both archive and animate the communities who've made London such a vibrant and vitalising city. Queer Footprints is a testament to our belonging and offers evidence and witness to queer liveliness. Let Dan Glass and Queer Footprints be your guides to reclaiming the streets of London – and to uncovering the queer footprints in cities around the world' Beautiful, heartbreaking and inspiring… A series of stories that honour, celebrate, uplift and credit the people who have contributed to our extraordinary community' So learning from history, or rather ‘herstory’, helps immensely. Change can happen and nothing is absolute.