Queer Britain is a museum of British LGBTQ history and

culture Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups.Tyl ...

located in Kings Cross,

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. It is the first dedicated LGBTQ museum in the UK. The museum consists of three connected galleries plus a shop and occupies the ground floor of 2

Granary Square Granary Square is a large open space in the London Borough of Camden. Comparable in size to Trafalgar Square, it is part of the larger King's Cross Central development. It has been cited as an example of a privately owned public space in London. ...

, a building owned by the

Art Fund Art Fund (formerly the National Art Collections Fund) is an independent membership-based British charity, which raises funds to aid the acquisition of artworks for the nation. It gives grants and acts as a channel for many gifts and bequests, as ...

, with office and studio space on lower ground. Admission is free.

History

Queer Britain was founded in February 2018 by Joseph Galliano, a former editor of ''

Gay Times ''Gay Times'' (stylized in all caps), also known as ''Gay Times Magazine'' and as ''GT'', is a UK-based LGBTQ+ media brand established in 1975. Originally a magazine for gay and bisexual men, the company now includes content for the LGBTQ+ commu ...

'', and Ian Mehrtens. It was registered as a

charity Charity may refer to: Giving * Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons * Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sharing * Ch ...

in September 2019.

Exhibitions

Prior to gaining its own location, Queer Britain staged occasional exhibitions in temporary locations. In 2018 it staged an exhibition ''Our Naked Skin'' in collaboration with the

Salisbury Arts Centre Salisbury Arts Centre is a venue for theatre, music, dance, comedy, family shows, films, exhibitions, and workshops in Salisbury, Wiltshire, United Kingdom. It is run by Wiltshire Creative, a charity which provides opportunities for members of t ...

including a filmed

oral history Oral history is the collection and study of historical information about individuals, families, important events, or everyday life using audiotapes, videotapes, or transcriptions of planned interviews. These interviews are conducted with people wh ...

project, Virtually Queer. In summer 2019 it staged an exhibition on ''Chosen Family'' in Mercer Street Showrooms,

Covent Garden Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist si ...

. Queer Britain opened as a physical museum on May 5, 2022, in advance of the 50th anniversary of Britain's first

gay pride march A pride parade (also known as pride march, pride event, or pride festival) is an outdoor event celebrating lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer culture, queer (LGBTQ) social and self-acceptance, achievements, LGBT rights by country o ...

. The introductory display, Welcome to Queer Britain, consisted of material from the museum's photography archive. The first full exhibition, We Are Queer Britain, occupying all three galleries, opened in July. The exhibition won Best Small Museum Project 2022, awarded by The Museums Association as part of their Museums Change Lives campaign. When not on display, the museum's collection is housed at the

Bishopsgate Institute Bishopsgate Institute is a cultural institute in the Bishopsgate Without area of the City of London, located near Liverpool Street station and Spitalfields market. The institute was established in 1895. It offers a cultural events programme, c ...

References

External links

*
‘This is for everyone!’: inside Britain’s first ever LGBTQ+ museum
(

Owen Jones Owen Jones (born 8 August 1984) is a British newspaper columnist, political commentator, journalist, author, and left-wing activist. He writes a column for ''The Guardian'' and contributes to the ''New Statesman'' and ''Tribune.'' He has two w ...

for

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

)
Why the UK Needs a LGBTQ+ Museum
(Interview with Joseph Galliano by Sophie Willkinson for

Vice A vice is a practice, behaviour, or habit generally considered immoral, sinful, criminal, rude, taboo, depraved, degrading, deviant or perverted in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character tra ...

) {{LGBT 2018 establishments in the United Kingdom Museums established in 2022 Museums in London LGBT museums and archives Sexuality in the United Kingdom LGBT history in the United Kingdom LGBT culture in the United Kingdom Kings Cross, London Charities based in London

History

Exhibitions

See also

References

External links