When the Museum of Transology launched, it was announced as the largest and boldest collection of trans artefacts and photographic portraiture ever displayed in the UK. A highly intimate exhibition which challenges the idea that gender is fixed, binary and biologically determined, it explores how these artefacts have helped to fashion self-shaped gender identities. Curator... Continue Reading →
Every wanted to start the year with a new challenge? Ever fancied getting on stage to perform, but don't have much time to commit to rehearsals beforehand? Well, I know a bunch of people who have answered yes to both of those questions and are doing something about it. They'll be taking part in this...... Continue Reading →
Visiting exhibitions is one of my favourite things to do so, although this year has barely begun, I already have a list of must-see exhibitions for 2017. Going with a friend can give you lots to discuss, as they often share knowledge you don't have or perhaps spot some things you might have missed. Visiting... Continue Reading →
This week, I received an email from Brat Worst of the London Rollergirls with some rather exciting news that I might want to write about. This got me wondering why I hadn't written about roller derby before. I mean, as a sport dominated by LGBTQ skaters (LRG regularly participate in the Pride in London parade),... Continue Reading →
In the early hours of the morning of Sunday 12th June 2016, a gunman opened fire at the gay nightclub Pulse in Orlando, Florida, killing at least 49 people and injuring dozens before he was shot dead by police. Last night a vigil in Soho, London (and many others across the country) showed that the... Continue Reading →
1999. I am going to a job interview at a lesbian bar. The manager, a butch, opens the door: 'What are you doing here? Are you in the right place?' 'I am here for the interview' She looks at me up and down with suspicion. 'You don't look gay!' 'I am here, for the same... Continue Reading →
This month's underwear Lust List is inspired by my visits to The Body Studio at Selfridges and the Undressed exhibition at the V&A, plus my many lunch time window shopping trips on London's famous Oxford Street (having a day job that's based at Oxford Circus can be dangerous!). I can't get enough of the wonderful... Continue Reading →
Have you ever felt unwelcome in mainstream hair salons or barbers? Have you feared getting a haircut because of how you will be judged, and all the incorrect assumptions the salon staff will make? For many LGBTQ folk, getting the haircut they want, at a price they can afford is a an ongoing battle. Thankfully,... Continue Reading →
I recently attended a lecture by Professor Amy de la Haye on interpreting gender in the context of the museum, specifically when exhibiting fashion/clothing. The pre-reading was a chapter on female masculinities in the 1920s - in a book called Fashioning Sapphism: The Origins of a Modern English Lesbian Culture by Laura Doan - and... Continue Reading →
This morning, Irreverent Dance founder Amanda Leon-Joyce announced the closure of the dance community's home, IDHQ, as the spectre of redevelopment rears its ugly head. This sad news was a shock to this close knit community of people who, before discovering ID, mostly thought they would never identify as a dancer. But the support that... Continue Reading →