Hidden Love: LGBTQ+ lives in the archives

The National Archives’ collections offer a valuable insight into
how the government interacted with and viewed LGBTQ communities
in the past, at a time when the State played a major role in
repressing and controlling the lives of gay and bisexual men and
women.


This talk takes you through records relating to queer history,
using photographs, court reports, witness statements and seized
items to highlight both criminalisation and brave acts of
defiance.


From the calling card of transgender diplomat Chevalier d’Eon to
records pertaining to the lively Shim Sham Club, so named after
the Harlem tap dance, records are looked at in the context of
significant moments and milestones in the movement towards LGBTQ
equality.


This talk, which took place on Thursday 20 February 2020, was
presented by Victoria Iglikowski-Broad, Principal Records
Specialist on Diverse Histories at The National Archives,
alongside a document display.