One afternoon in 1895, while being transported to prison Oscar Wilde was made to stand on a railway platform, where people jeered and spat at him – a humiliating ordeal.
This episode takes us to south west London, where the poet and playwright paved the way for LGBTQ+ rights through his experience and is remembered with a very special plaque.
London’s LGBTQ+ history can sometimes feel hard to see or find, as much of it is hidden, lost or goes untold. Supported by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, London’s rainbow plaques are designed to highlight this heritage in our streets.
What does it mean to queer Londoners to see LGBTQ+ histories commemorated in the city where they live, work and love? In this episode, we talk to queer Londoners today about the importance of recognising significant people, places and moments in LGBTQ+ history, through the lens of the city’s rainbow plaques and beyond.
Listeners should be advised that this episode contains a single swear word at 13m41s. You may like to skip forward by a couple of seconds if you don't want to hear this.
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Presenter: Aindrea Emelife, Curator of Modern and Contemporary at MOWAA (Museum of West African Art).
Contributors: Christopher Sweeney, host of the podcast Homo Sapiens; David Robson, Lambeth Council and former chair of Wandsworth LGBTQ+ Forum London LGBT Forums Network ; Jack Guinness, founder of The Queer Bible; Laura Harford, curator, Studio Voltaire; Paula Akpan, journalist and historian, founder of The Black Queer Travel Guide.
*LGBTQ+ encompasses: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, and + includes indicates other categories such as Questioning, Asexual, Intersex, Pansexual.
Produced by Sylvie Carlos. Sound design by Weyland Mckenzie-Witter. Hosted on Spotify. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast series are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect those of the Mayor of London.