LGBTQ+ History Timeline and Heritage Resources
Haringey has a strong history of battling discrimination and celebrating equality. You can learn and understand more about our LGBTQ+ heritage and community activism locally by exploring the brief timeline and links to our special LGBTQ+ heritage resources below.
Timeline and LGBTQ+ Heritage Resources in Haringey
LGBTQ+ history has been ignored or overlooked. All too often it has been something only told and passed on from one generation to the next within LGBTQ+ communities. Many stories remain hidden, forgotten - or, sadly, lost.
In Haringey, communities have worked together to change this, and to record, research, remember and celebrate LGBTQ+ heritage. Our brief historical timeline charts key moments of LGBTQ+ community activism in the borough since 1967, highlighting those from Haringey who made a difference in the battle against Section 28 and in campaigning for LGBTQ+ rights.
Timeline
1967
Homosexuality was decriminalised in the UK.
1978
Philip Jones was councillor for South Hornsey from 1978-1997, becoming Deputy Leader of the Council from 1987-1991. He was Haringey's first openly gay councillor in an era of national campaigning for gay and lesbian rights.
1981
Haringey Council grants funding to the newly-opened 'Reading Matters' bookshop in Wood Green, which stocked a wide range of material promoting free speech and free thought.
Haringey nightclub owner Nicky Price launched the UK's first gay one-nighters in straight clubs. Called Bolts, it started in the Lazer Club on Green Lanes, Harringay. Bolts became the launch for some well-known names from the ‘80s pop world – a young George Michael.
1983
The book 'Jenny Lives with Eric and Martin' by Susanne Bösche was published in English in 1983. The book told the story of a girl living with her dad and his partner.
1984
Gay rights became part of the Labour Party’s manifesto. At the time, Haringey was one of 10 councils who pitched in to donate more than £600,000 to gay projects and groups.
1986
Campaigning for lesbian and gay rights stepped up in this year. The group called Positive Images was formed.
The Labour Party won control of Haringey Council in May 1986, with lesbian and gay equality being an important part of their manifesto. Vince Gillespie was one of the newly-elected councillors. He had been encouraged to stand as a councillor on account of his commitment to gay rights. When Vince was selected to stand for Bruce Grove ward, on his election address he was named as a gay and lesbian rights candidate - the first candidate to describe themselves as openly gay. As a result, Vince was targetted by anti-gay campaigners.
The Haringey Lesbian and Gay Unit was launched by the council - the first of its kind in the country - to highlight the rights of LGBT people. Pioneering campaigner Femi Otitoju was part of the unit, which was within the council's Equalities team.
A copy of the book 'Jenny lives with Eric and Martin', was available to school children in Haringey. A group of local parents complained - sparking protests on the streets of Wood Green, for and against gay rights. The news caused public outcry across the country with national newspapers criticising local authorities for promoting 'homosexuality propaganda' to children at the tax payer’s expense.
In reaction to the growing anti-gay sentiment, the Haringey Lesbian and Gay Unit commissioned a banner that was used regularly on marches to ensure visibility.
This news report covers one of the gay rights protests outside the Civic Centre in Haringey:
Note for iPhone users and Youtube. There is a known bug with iOS and Youtube, Two buttons are read before the player but provide no functionality. We advise that you skip these to access the content.
1987
The Positive Images Campaign and Haringey Black Action group joined forces to organise the first UK demonstration ‘Smash the Backlash’ on 2 May 1987 to protest against racism and bigotry, highlighting the lives of black lesbians and gay men. The demo marched from Duckett’s Common to Bruce Castle Park via The Roundway in Tottenham, with 3,500 people taking part.
Tottenham MP Bernie Grant became the first member of parliament to voice opposition to Section 28 in government. The clause became law a year later in 1988.
The Department of Education and Science expressed concerns to Haringey Council’s education team about the “promotion of homosexuality”. It came after the council's Lesbian and Gay Unit wrote to the borough’s head teachers, urging them to share positive views of homosexuality with pupils.
1988
On 23 May, the night before Section 28 became law, four protestors, including Haringey’s Booan Temple stormed the BBC 6 O’Clock news, handcuffed themselves to equipment and shouted ‘Stop Section 28’.
Watch the news report on YouTube:
Note for iPhone users and Youtube. There is a known bug with iOS and Youtube, Two buttons are read before the player but provide no functionality. We advise that you skip these to access the content.
1995
Alan Dobbie, councillor for Noel Park ward, became the first openly gay mayor of Haringey.
1999
Wood Green arts charity Wise Thoughts (external link) was established, helping to address social justice issues and the needs of Haringey’s LGBT and Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic communities.
From 1999 to 2001 the London Mardi Gras Festival was held in Finsbury Park, following the London/ Gay Pride Parade.
2001
Equalisation of the age of consent for gay men nationwide.
2002
UK’s Adoption and Children Act allowed same sex couples to adopt.
MP for Hornsey and Wood Green Barbara Roche, who was Minister for Social Exclusion and Equalities, spoke in support of civil partnerships, saying there was a strong case for allowing same-sex couples to register their relationships.
2003
Section 28 was repealed.
2005
On 21 December 2005 at 9am, Colin Ward and Ric Sajor became pioneers, leading the way to make history by becoming the first Civil Partnership couple in Haringey. Although they had already been together for 15 years, their journey to that day was long, including having to work with the Stonewall Immigration Group to change same-sex immigration laws.
2009
The T-shirt that Haringey protester Booan Temple wore when she stormed the BBC went on show at Bruce Castle Museum, as part of the 'From Out of the Closet ... to Collection' Haringey LGBT exhibition.
2010
GIRES (Gender Identification Research and Education Society) was set up to improve the environment in which gender non-conforming people live.
2012
MP for Hornsey and Wood Green Lynne Featherstone was named Attitude Magazine’s politician of the year. She went on to be named Pink Magazine’s ally of the year in 2014, as well as Stonewall’s 2014 politician of the year (following a previous 2009 nomination). The former Equalities Minister is widely hailed as the architect of the bill that brought same-sex marriage to England and Wales.
2014
On Saturday 29 March, the first gay couple to marry in Haringey were Subodh Rathod and Niranjan Kamatkar. The couple tied the knot at 9.15am at the Civic Centre in Wood Green. The couple were also the first gay Indian couple to marry in the UK under the new marriage equality legislation.
Creative grooms Benjamin Till and Nathan Taylor wrote and staged their entire wedding as a musical - including sung vows, sung readings and show-stopping ensembles from the congregation. 'Our Gay Wedding: The Musical' was staged at the Alexandra Palace Theatre and shown on Channel 4 (external link).
The Molly Spoon Archive project and exhibition was launched at Bruce Castle Museum. It explored the radical LGBTQ+ history of Haringey and created a collection of oral histories from activists who campaigned for lesbian gay rights during the 1980s (external link).
2017
Haringey Council began work to make the council a more LGBTQ+ friendly place, with support from Stonewall.
2018
January - The LGBTQIA+ Community Network was formed, consisting of 15 organisations from across the borough working with and championing the needs of the LGBTQIA+ population.
February - Cabinet reinstates its commitment to the LGBT+ population with a new action plan.
June - The Haringey Vanguard Project (external link) - a flagship 2-year heritage partnership and project between Bruce Castle Museum and Archive and London Metropolitan Archives (external link), led by the project officer Veronica McKenzie and funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund - began collecting archives, oral interviews and histories of black, Asian and minority ethnic LGBTQ+ communities and activism in the borough for the period 1970s-1990s.
July - Leader of Haringey Council, Cllr Joseph Ejiofor signed the Stonewall ‘Come Out for LGBT’ pledge, vowing to continue to battle for LGBT+ equality. Haringey Council staff attend the Pride in London parade during LGBT Pride Month. Proud to be Haringey.
September - The Haringey Has Pride project, led by Jacksons Lane (external link), recreate a 1989 Haringey Pride Festival that had started at Wood Green. Residents enjoyed artistic performances and a vibrant mini parade on Ducketts Common. The project was funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and was part of the wider project 'Haringey Has Pride', celebrating and investigating Haringey’s rich Heritage in LGBTQ+ activism.
November - GFEST, the annual LGBTQI+ arts festival led by Wise Thoughts (external link), celebrated its ten year anniversary with the theme ‘Have LGBTQI+ people achieved full equality now?’
2019
Haringey Council joins Pride in London parade and launches HarinGAY t-shirts.
September - Wood Green Business Improvement District (BID) with partners came together to create a day event called 'Haringey Pride' (external link) to celebrate LGTBQI+ communities in Haringey. The Festival continued in 2021 and is planned for 2022.
2020
The borough’s first two rainbow crossings were unveiled to mark LGBT+ History Month in Haringey. Students from Woodside High in White Hart Lane, Wood Green were proud to be the first school in the country to have a permanent LGBTQ+ inspired rainbow crossing installed. The second rainbow crossing was installed in Wood Green High Road, opposite Spouters' Corner.
2021
February - During the second national lockdown during the pandemic, the flagship project Haringey Vanguard was celebrated with the virtual launch of the Project website (external link) and exhibition 'We Have Always Been Here' and screened online to great acclaim (external link).
On Saturday 30 October Haringey Council unveiled the first LGBTQ+ commemorative plaque in the borough at The Roundway (west arm) on the Tottenham and Wood Green border. The plaque commemorates the Smash the Backlash march of 2 May 1987 organised by the Positive Images Campaign and Haringey Black Action group. The plaque is positioned alongside the third rainbow crossing in Haringey.
Now
Haringey marks LGBT+ History Month each February and holds events throughout the year where you can learn, enjoy and be inspired by Haringey’s LGBTQ+ community and history.
We’ll keep fighting for LGBTQ+ equality and inclusion. To get involved, look for advice or connect with local groups, do get in touch with Haringey's LGBTQIA+ Community Network.
LGBTQ+ Heritage Resources in Haringey
Bruce Castle Museum and Archive has special archives, collections and resources that showcase and document the long and rich history of LGBTQ+ heritage and community activism in the borough.
You can book to explore and research these collections of original documents, ephemera, objects, art, oral histories and photographs in the Archive Search Room at Bruce Castle. Just email museum.services@haringey.gov.uk or phone 020 8489 4250 (option 2) to find out more.
Educational resources are also available for schools – please contact the Museum directly for more information by email: museum.services@haringey.gov.uk.
Some of Bruce Castle Museum and Archive's LGBTQ+ collections can be viewed online:
- Haringey Vanguard – BAME LGBTQ+ Archives and Oral History Collections can be explored on the Haringey Vanguard website (external link). You can listen to the launch of the project and associated exhibition 'We Have Always Been Here' that took place in February 2021, as well as see short films about the contributors, partners and collections who helped make it all happen.
- The Molly Spoon Archive Collection - In 2014, Bruce Castle Museum and Archive worked with UCL (external link) and LGBTQ+ cultural producer Tim Redfern to explore hidden histories of LGBTQ+ people and communities in Haringey and create The Molly Spoon Archive. Oral histories were collected alongside stories told through the making and crafting of Molly Spoons, each added to the Museum's collections, ensuring these histories are no longer lost or forgotten. You can discover more about the project, see some of the Molly Spoons and hear oral histories by following the Molly Spoon Archive (external link).
- Haringey LGBT+ Histories - Young Curator Angela Mascolo has worked with Bruce Castle Museum and Archive to undertake her own project recording oral histories with Haringey LGBTQ+activists and campaigners during 2021. The collection of extraordinary stories has been added to the archives at Bruce Castle and can be explored online (external link).
