PECKHAM: Pride
Lesbians and Gays Support the Migrants, and Movement for Justice are gathering the troops in a public celebration of queer and migrant culture. Assembling outside Peckham Library at midday on Sat 18th February, the march will proceed through Peckham as a demonstration of solidarity with those who are being threatened by immigration raids, detention and deportation. With a post-march party in the Copeland Gallery, which will include performers, exhibitions and food, this is a day to celebrate the strength within the LGBT+ and migrant communities. More info here
VAUXHALL: Jamie Crewe’s Female Executioner
Meanwhile, Gasworks over in SE11 plays host to the first solo exhibition in London by Glasgow-based artist Jamie Crewe. Comprising newly commissioned video, sculpture, print and text-based works, the exhibition shines a light on the French writer Rachilde’s Monsieur Venus: A Materialist Novel. This is a literary work that speaks lucidly to the contemporary trans experience, touching on issues that remain urgent, such as visibility and authenticity, pervasive experiences of trauma and the threat of punishment and harm. The exhibition is an attempt to test what happens when a queer, transfeminine artist tries to touch, reflect on, and rehabilitate a historical work of fiction which seems to offer them ancestry. Admission is free and the exhibition runs until 26th March. More info here
KEW: Queer History from the National Archives
On 11th Feb, the National Archives will be playing its part in LGBT+ History Month by hosting a series of talks exploring Britain’s queer history. The afternoon is chock-a-block with discussions, ranging from the role of lesbians in the Suffragette movement (1:55pm-2:15pm), tales of being gay in the navy (3pm-5pm) and being trans in the military (2:15-3:35). The Archives will also showcase some rare snaps from the initial protests from the Gay Liberation Front (3:45-4:05) and discuss the 1967 legalisation of male same-sex relations (1:35pm-1:55pm). Tickets here
BRIXTON: (sort of)
And finally – although you’ll have to make your way across the river for this – LSE is hosting a free evening talk about Squatting in Brixton’s gay communes in the 1970s and 80s. There’ll also be a discussion about working collectively on the second-wave feminist magazine Spare Rib and what actually changed for homosexuals after the 1967 act. As with the sheer majority of evening lectures across the city, the talk is completely free. London School of Economics, 22nd Feb, 6pm-7pm.
