A Strand gay map
Posted in 2000-2009, 2020-2029, 21st Century, contemporary, Diary, Editorial blog posts, Memory, parks, people, Places, public squares, Stories, Strands and tagged with Gay bar, Gay London, LGBT History Month, LGBT+ London, LGBTQ+ History Month, London, London map, memories, Nights out, parties, Pride, protest, queer London, Share your story, Songs, Study, Trafalgar Square
February is LGBTQ+ History Month in the UK! Strandlines invites contributions from all Strand-dwellers, visitors, and dreamers all year round, however, we launched a call this year for contributions to mark the History Month.
The map below was contributed by Pippa. Thank you, Pippa, for sharing your own ‘strand’ with us!
We are always open for contributions – click here to find out more.
“My name is Pippa, I’m a PhD student at KCL in the department of Education, Communication and Society. I saw your call for stories relating to LGBT+ lives around the Strand, and I thought I’d make a small drawing of the Strand area, with some pivotal moments in my own gay life instead of street/building names.”
Accessible text, reading from left to right, which is west to east along the Strand.
- Trafalgar Square. “Where I walked in my first London Pride”
- Trafalgar Square south side. “Where I told my girlfriend ‘text me when you get home safe!’ for the first time.
- Charing Cross. “Where there is a gay bar that I didn’t know about until two years ago”.
- Embankment. “Where, post-Pride, I ran into some of the students I taught, who I then had to introduce to my very drunk friends”.
- Strand. “Where I realised the MIKA song ‘Boum Boum Boum’ is about gay sex”.
- Strand. “Where I tried (and failed) to pitch a lesbian romance novel to an editor”.
- Strand. “Where I realised that I shouldn’t let a lack of whiteness or poshness indimidate me out of enjoying theatre”.
- Somerset House. “Where I would wait for class to be over so I could hang out with my girlfriend”.
