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London may be close to approving first GLBT museum
Ben Townley, Gay.com U.K.
Gay rights campaigner Peter Tatchell outlined his plans for the U.K.'s first lesbian and gay museum last week, an institution which would display the London LGBT community's "hidden history."
"London's lesbian and gay community has a fascinating hidden history spanning more than four centuries. The museum could display everything from 18th-century "molly house" artifacts, to badges and placards from the campaign to repeal Section 28," he said Monday.
"It has the potential to become an international attraction, bringing in researchers and tourists from all over Britain and the world, enhancing London's status as the world's leading queer city and contributing tourism earnings to the pink and London economies."
Tatchell proposed that the museum be based in the former Bow Street Police Station, where Oscar Wilde was originally incarcerated.
The museum was suggested earlier this year by Green Party leader and mayoral candidate Darren Johnson and adopted by all the other major candidates.
While not a candidate in London's upcoming mayoral election, Tatchell is a key politician. He recently threw his support to the Green Party, helping it draw up a gay manifesto for London, European and local elections, which take place across the country June 10.
"Always forgive your enemies...nothing annoys them quite so much." Oscar Wilde
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timmy
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Has no life at all |
Location: UK, in Devon
Registered: February 2003
Messages: 13796
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maybe I am alone, but I find this idea ghetto creating and offenisve. in victorian times peole had a day out at the lunatic asylum to laugh at the lunatics. Now i feel a day to laugh at gay people is upon us.
If there is a museum dedicated next door to heterosexual people then I will support it.
No, Actually I will not.
I see it as demeaning
Author of Queer Me! Halfway Between Flying and Crying - the true story of life for a gay boy in the Swinging Sixties in a British all male Public School
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Steve
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Really getting into it |
Location: London, England
Registered: November 2006
Messages: 465
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You know, Timmy, I read what you wrote and nodded my head in agreement. Then someone turned on the TV.
3 pm. Programme for teens called "Exit". The programme today was about "Gays on TV". Several shows (some international, like QAF and Will and Grace, some home-grown stuff) were discussed. Scenes from each of the shows were shown, analyzed and discussed by three youngsters speaking impromptu in a positive manner - including scenes of gay Israeli teens kissing. (At least one of the participants in the show was gay, as far as I could tell from his comments.)
I realized that what was happening in this programme - intended or not - was the creation of "awareness and understanding". Any teenager watching could not have helped leaving the show with a view of gay teenagers as being - people, not essentially different from other people. So, if what our societies need is "awareness and understanding" why should a museum not help to provide that? Just my twopennyworth. (Do they still have 'tuppence' in England?)
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timmy
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Has no life at all |
Location: UK, in Devon
Registered: February 2003
Messages: 13796
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If we present ALL decent folk as they are: decent folk, then it matters not their sexuality. Thus showing the great and good homosexual and heterosexual together has virtue. But, to me, the exhibition of gay people is a freak show.
Author of Queer Me! Halfway Between Flying and Crying - the true story of life for a gay boy in the Swinging Sixties in a British all male Public School
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saben
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On fire! |
Registered: May 2003
Messages: 1537
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But you cannot deny that for a long time there has been a "gay" culture that is somewhat apart from the "mainstream". There are museums dedicated to black history, to convict history, to the history of a specific religious group or to history of other cultures and the like. A lot of people, especially nowadays are gay without ever becoming part of the "gay culture", but the culture still does exist and has existed and that is what the museum will show. It isn't about sexuality, in my opinion, it is a about a minority group and how their culture has functioned throughout history, it doesn't seek to represent gays, nor would it. It is more just talking about the gay lifestyle that has existed as kind of a necessity up until, today. Hopefully with progress there can be more integration as we become more accepted in mainsteam society, but there will always be people that want to live a "gay lifestyle", I think, people that like being part of their exclusive group away from heterosexuals and whatever else.
Look at this tree. I cannot make it blossom when it suits me nor make it bear fruit before its time [...] No matter what you do, that seed will grow to be a peach tree. You may wish for an apple or an orange, but you will get a peach.
Master Oogway
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timmy
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Has no life at all |
Location: UK, in Devon
Registered: February 2003
Messages: 13796
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I think I subscribe to the view that my orientation, your orientation and their orientation is such a small part of who and what we are that it is really irrelevant. I strive towards that view.
I can see a race museum, and other museums, but a museum dedicated to a particular sexual orientation? I couldn't even find one in Amsterdam, whcih has at least two "Sex Museums".
I remain opposed. Not all publicity is good publicity. I do not want to be a participant in a peep show.
Author of Queer Me! Halfway Between Flying and Crying - the true story of life for a gay boy in the Swinging Sixties in a British all male Public School
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saben
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On fire! |
Registered: May 2003
Messages: 1537
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It is about culture. Trends and behaviours. That is all. It has the potential to be about sexuality, but I am reserving judgement. Hopefully it will be merely a cultural museum. Sexuality is only a small part of who people are, but culture can define your whole life. For people involved in the club scene that attend regularly, participate in pride parades every weekend, often dress in drag, lead activist movements, etc being gay is more than just sexuality, it is a whole choice of lifestyle. I think there should be linguistic seperation between gay sexuality and gay lifestyle and culture, but for the life of me I can't think of a term to associate with the lifestyle/ culture aspects that are a choice, unlike orientation which is not. I assume and hope that the museum will only be about the choice aspect, because I would be interested in learning about the history of gay activism, gay nightlife, pride parades, marti gras and other such issues.
What I would be opposed to is certain linguistic choices, generalisations like "in the 60s gay people began wearing this item of clothing" or even having the museum called a "gay and lesbian museum". It is not that, as you say the orientation aspect is only a small part of people and people that are gay can live their lives without ever touching anything that is stereotypically gay. The museum would tell the history of a culture and a group of people that choice to behave in certain ways and associate with each other based on their common beliefs that in a lot of cases were to do with their sexuality. Trying to tell the history of gays is like trying to tell the history of women, you cannot do it. What you can do, however is the tell the history of the culture associated with women throughout the ages and the role of women, feminist movements and other such things.
It is an interesting, slightly strange idea with the potential to be good or bad, it all depends on how it is done. I hope that is will not be used as a box for generalisation because I don't think it can be used to define those of us that are gay at all.
Look at this tree. I cannot make it blossom when it suits me nor make it bear fruit before its time [...] No matter what you do, that seed will grow to be a peach tree. You may wish for an apple or an orange, but you will get a peach.
Master Oogway
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