pride history

Queer History and youth: do you know your basics?

What did Herkind know about queer history? Well, not much, and you probably don’t either

(c) Brian Kyed

History is undoubtedly important to queer communities – it’s only by building our knowledge and using our past that we can make sure that the future doesn’t replicate what we’ve already been through. 

Considering schools in England will be tackling the subject of diverse families for the first time in September 2020, it is clear LGBTQ+ history has not been a priority. Indeed, at last, “All secondary schools will be required to teach pupils about sexual orientation and gender identity, and all primary schools will be required to teach about different families, which can include LGBT families,” reported Stonewall in April 2019. With that early inclusion of sexual diversity in schools, perhaps students and pupils will be more keen to research and investigate queer history.

Norena Shopland, historian and writer, enlightened us in the first issue of Herkind on the importance of remembering our history. But how much do we actually know? When shooting content for our printed issue, most of the passersby wondered what the ‘Section 28’ written on our models’ faces meant. And this, even coming from members of the community.

So, taking time to sit down with some of our team members, Herkind acknowledges why it is primordial for us to know what our history is. Emily, Sorcha, Joe and Amy talked with Hannah about key times and figures of queer history, from Stonewall to Whitney Houston’s latest queer revelations.

Stonewall queer history
Stonewall Inn, site of the 1969 Stonewall riots, New York City, USA On the Window: „We homosexuals plead with our people to please help maintain peaceful and quiet conduct on the streets of the Village—Mattachine“ (c) Diana Davies, copyright owned by New York Public Library

On Stonewall and decriminalisation of homosexuality, with Hannah and Emily

On Taylor Swift, Stonewall, the AIDS crisis, Matthew Shepard and Brandon Teena, with Hannah and Sorcha

Part 1 on the AIDS crisis and Matthew Shepard
Part 2 on gay panic and Brandon Teena

On the declassification of homosexuality as a mental illness and Whitney Houston, with Hannah and Joe

On Stonewall, the AIDS crisis, Section 28 and Harvey Milk with Hannah and Amy

And you, what do you know about queer history?

Herkind is a safe space for young LGBTQ+ womxn to explore and enjoy their identity – otherwise known as your big sis’.