Queer people have always existed but have not always been listened to.
From Alan Turing’s tragic lifestory to Section 28, we hear snippets about LGBTQ+ figures and events but very rarely is queer history given the platform it deserves.
As well as this, like many other aspects of the UK curriculm when queer history is mentioned in our classrooms or textbooks it is rare to hear stories from POC or non-binary figures.
According to Stonewall, 40% LGBTQ+ pupils still are never taught anything about LGBTQ+ issues at school.
When the schools are lacking, parents can fill in gaps and help their young ones understand that their history is important too.
Empathy and understanding starts with education and reading about queer history is a great place to start.
As a lecturer and course leader of Queer History at Goldsmith’s University, Dr Justin Bengry (he/him) has spent over a decade trying to change the narrative about queer history.
From creating an interactive map of historical queer locations across the UK to creating new statutory listings and teaching resources for schools- Dr Bengry has done it all.
But mostly, Dr Bengry is passionate about teaching others about queer history.
Here’s a list he’s provided for Pride & Joy readers who want to learn the basics in an accessible way.
Dr Bengry’s recomended reading of Queer History
Queer: A Graphic History by Meg-John Barker
Activist-academic Meg John Barker and cartoonist Julia Scheele illuminate the histories of queer thought and LGBTQ+ action in this non-fiction graphic novel. A kaleidoscope of characters from the diverse worlds of pop-culture, film, activism and academia guide us on a journey through the ideas, people and events that have shaped ‘queer theory’. Find out more here.
‘The Case of the Sultry Mountie, or, We Need to Talk about Cecil’ By Dr Justin Bengry
In this article written by Dr Bengry, for his history of sexuality blog Notches, he discusses if his late great uncle was queer and what that means. In this intimate article by Dr Bengry, he talks about how many men and women like Cecil may not conform to easy binaries and familiar categories. Read more here.
Before we were Trans: A new History of Gender by Kit Heyam
Before We Were Trans illuminates the stories of people across the globe, from antiquity to the present, whose experiences of gender have defied binary categories. Blending historical analysis with sharp cultural criticism, trans historian and activist Kit Heyam offers a new, radically inclusive trans history, chronicling expressions of trans experience that are often overlooked, like gender-nonconforming fashion and wartime stage performance. Find out more here.
Historic England’s project Pride of Place: England’s LGBTQ Heritage
In this digital resource showing queer locations across the UK, Dr Justin Bengry and Professor Alison Oram demonstrate that queer history is everywhere, and this is displayed in the buildings and places that surround us. The platform is designed to appeal to a wide non-specialist audience and contains loads of information about historic queer locations.
You can have a look at the project here, or you can click here to explore historic queer locations on this crowd-sourced map.