News / Talking LGBT+ Bristol
Bristol24/7 launches Talking LGBT+ Bristol
A Heritage Lottery Fund grant has backed this project to share the hidden history of LGBT+ life in Bristol through film, print and social media.
What will this project do, explains LGBT Editor James Higgins
Talking LGBT+ Bristol is a ground breaking project aimed at sharing the rich history of LGBT+ life in Bristol with a wider audience. From LGBT history month in February, to Pride in July, the strength and vibrancy of Bristol’s support for the LGBT+ community shows how much potential this project has.
is needed now More than ever
Led by Bristol24/7, this project will share and add to the existing resources painstakingly collected by researchers and local historians. This project will be about sharing the real experiences – good and bad – of all LGBT+ people, of all ages, and all ethnicities.
The media has ignored or vilified LGBT+ issues in the past, and we have a chance with this funding to share memories and stories for the first time. We’ll create new resources for the future – videos, opinion pieces, and a film helping us all understand the importance of our communities to Bristol.
There aren’t just people with rich stories to share – many of our buildings have an important past.
Did you know, the first openly gay night club in Bristol was opened in an old swimming pool, there were infamous cruising areas in the dockyards, and a world-pioneering transgender person worked as a fire-watcher in Bristol in the Blitz?
Why is this project important to Bristol?
Daryn Carter, Director, Bristol Pride
“This is an exciting project that we are proud to be a part of. Visibility for the LGBT+ community is something that is vitally important and I cannot wait to hear some of the stories that are unearthed, many for the first time.”
Cheryl Morgan, Co-Chair, OutStories Bristol
“OutStories Bristol has a wealth of information about local LGBT+ History. However, communicating those stories to the wider public can be difficult and expensive. This project will make that process much easier.”
Berkeley Wilde, Chair, LGBT Bristol
“Having role models, and using media to raise awareness, is vitally important for the wellbeing of LGBT+ people who are more likely to experience a range of health inequalities especially in relation to our mental health. Seeing ourselves reflected in society and culture helps us feel included.”
Michael Bray, Senior Associate, Burges Salmon
“Digital communication is particularly important for engaging with LGBT+ issues as it is accessible and available to everybody virtually everywhere, and can be both a discrete source of information but also an open public forum for discussion and debate at the same time.”
Darryl Bullock, Author
“Like it or not LGBT history has affected all of us, no matter what our sexuality might be. But very few ‘first-hand’ recollections have been preserved. It’s vital that we document the memories of the LGBT community before these personal histories are lost forever.”
Join the conversation #LGBT247
Find out how you can play a part in the project
Contact James or Caragh for more information.
Photo credit: Bristol Archives 43207/9/28/22
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