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The Brixton Fairies: 1970s gay squat

not quite brixton faeries, but i'm trying to find out about lgbt history in southwark - people, places, events etc - if anyone has any info, please get in touch? (sorry if that sounds a bit scrappy, but i thought this might be a good starting point)

thanks in advance :) x
 
kitty_kitty said:
not quite brixton faeries, but i'm trying to find out about lgbt history in southwark - people, places, events etc - if anyone has any info, please get in touch? (sorry if that sounds a bit scrappy, but i thought this might be a good starting point)

thanks in advance :) x
Click to expand...

I'm fairly sure Jimmy Somerville and some of those around Bronski Beat / Framed Youth lived ( squatted ? ) in flats around Aylesbury estate in early 80's
 
thank you gramsci, puddy_tat and brixtonscot - very much appreciated! :)
 
brixtonscot said:
I'm fairly sure Jimmy Somerville and some of those around Bronski Beat / Framed Youth lived ( squatted ? ) in flats around Aylesbury estate in early 80's
Click to expand...

From Steve Bronski....also Brixton connection

Jimmy and Connie flitted from Jills flat and shared an apartment on a high rise housing estate near the Oval, Camberwell New Road, south west London. Shortly afterwards Larry and Steve also moved to a separate flat on the same estate. All were squatting. Jimmy and Connie applied for and received a council tenancy for their apartment whilst Larry and Steve were eventually evicted from theirs. Just before the eviction order was enforced, Jimmy and Connie's friends arranged a political demonstration march at Peckham Town Hall at which hundreds of people demonstrated on behalf of Larry and Steve's impending loss of their home. At the hearing, the judge ruled against the pair and issued a warrant for them to vacate the premises. After the imposed eviction, a lovely friend, Amanda Barnes, kindly offered Larry and Steve her only spare room in her flat to store the music equipment and flat contents.
http://www.jimmysomerville.net/historie/historie_bronski_beat/historie_bronski_beat_beginn_e.htm
 
kitty_kitty said:
thank you gramsci, puddy_tat and brixtonscot - very much appreciated! :)
Click to expand...

thanks i was trying to remember who i talked to. she curated some rare films done by some of those around at the same time as Jarman. From what she said there was Gay alternative art scene in London. Its hard to think of it now but being Gay much more difficult then. Many came to London to live in " alternative" life which included politics , sexuality and feminism. Now being Gay is more accepted than it was then. After all people like Jarman were born when it was still illegal.

For a critique of how Gay culture has become consumerist rather than part of a radical challenge that it promised in the 70s see Peter Tatchell.

Not an analysis i necessarily agree with. As a minority gets accepted into the mainstream then its not surprising to see , for example , Gay people who politics are otherwise inclined to the right ( Tory party or New Labour)
 
Just found Untold London website (as ever while looking for something completely different) - it includes a LGBT section - here

may be worth a look.
 
Goodbye to London and Railton Road

I visited the exhibition in Berlin on 'Goodbye to London' and met Astrid Proll, Peter Cross and Boris von Brauchnitz, the joint curators. The book is based on this exhibition and deals with squatting, feminist and socialist art collectives, Grunwick and a lot of information on Brixton Gays which I supplied to the Hall-Carpenter Archive for use. It's an excellent exhibition and hopefully, after a trip to Dresden, it will come to London. I think there are plans to do this.

I never was involved in the Mens Group in Brixton but I do remember Gary de Vere, Colm Clifford and Alistair Kerr attending it. All three unfortunately died of the AIDS virus. I think it might have been Icebreakers, a radical gay counselling group, that was in the room above the Peoples' News Service at 119 Railton Road. It may also have housed Gay Switchboard.

Aaah...the memories

Ian Townson
 
Just a thought - in case you hadn't noticed, February is LGBT History Month - website here

There is a mention on Lambeth's website, but it sends you to the above link.
 
There's a showing of film Strip Jack Naked , which has been referred to on this thread Fri 25 Feb 11.30pm Rio Cinema , folowed with Q&A with Terry Stewart and director Ron Peck.

Outeast Gay History Month Screening
NIGHTHAWKS II: STRIP JACK NAKED (18) 11.30pm
(UK 1991. dir. Ron Peck) 91m.
Nick Bolton, John Brown, John Diamon.
NIGHTHAWKS II: STRIP JACK NAKED puts Ron Peck's original 1978 groundbreaking landmark gay movie NIGHTHAWKS into a 1991 historical and personal context as the director reflects on his own personal journey from closeted suburban teen to politically radicalised filmmaker. The result is one of the most honest and abrasive of film autobiographies. Inevitably, the film reflects the society and attitudes of the time and although laws and policy may have changed in the last twenty years, homophobia itself has clearly not gone away and remains an issue for us all.
+ Q&A with Ron Peck
£7.50
 
The love that you need can never be found at home.

brixtonscot said:
I'm fairly sure Jimmy Somerville and some of those around Bronski Beat / Framed Youth lived ( squatted ? ) in flats around Aylesbury estate in early 80's
Click to expand...
Steve Bronski squatted in St George's residences behind the gay center on Railton road. I think this was the late 70's.
St George's then was mostly squatted by working class none political gays bisexuals smack heads rent boys hippy's punks and some very none homophobic straits/hets.
I suppose looking back it was one of the most interesting places I have lived in. :eek: :D
And thus this was another chapter in the South London gay liberation front.
And that is one of the reasons I love dear old Brixton town. :)
 
Hi there mwareing1,

I still find it impossible to upload images onto this site. The only thing I can think of is to send stuff to someone's personal email address and ask them to do it. I've got loads of interesting stuff.

Ian
 
Ian Townson said:
Hi there mwareing1,

I still find it impossible to upload images onto this site. The only thing I can think of is to send stuff to someone's personal email address and ask them to do it. I've got loads of interesting stuff.

Ian
Click to expand...
You can email them to me if you like and I can post them up here.

urban75 - at - gmail dot com
 
I went to Railton Road at the weekend.....I didnt see any gardens knocked together. Are they at the back of the properties. Where are they?
 
Roughly there were gay squats, before they became Brixton Housing Coop flats, from 153-159 Railton Road with the others running almost parallel from 146-152 Mayall Road. The shared garden is in between them. I will be posting photos soon via Urban75 that show this.

Ian
 
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