For Immediate Release – THE BANG BUS TOUR – QUEER CULTURE TAKES TO THE ROAD ON A DOUBLE DECKER
30th September 2017 – BANG BUS TOUR Starts at 6pm at the Black Cap, 171 Camden Town.
The campaign group and social enterprise ‘Queer Tours of London – A Mince Through Time’ has brought together a range of LGBTQI+ activist groups to launch the first BANG BUS TOUR. In the 50th year since the partial legalisation of Homosexuality in 1967, this project’s aim is to highlight the impact of the loss of queer places and spaces over the last decade (1).
Campaigners believe that the loss of dedicated queer spaces and places is damaging queer cultural life and putting the safety of LGBTQI+ people at risk of hate crime and violence (2).
The first BANG BUS TOUR will travel around North and East London making stops at some of the most important queer landmarks; from legendary gay pubs like the Black Cap and the Joiners Arms, to the meeting place where the fight for equality was born with the Gay Liberation Front. It ends in East London at the Dalston Superstore for a fundraising event to support projects that help those in need in the LGBTQI+ community.
The event will celebrate the successes the community has helped achieved in achieving a more equal society. However campaigners feel strongly that “equality is not about everyone being that same; its about everyone being treated the same”. They want to ensure that queer history should not be lost forever and that its rich and varied culture should have safe places and spaces for it to thrive and have a positive impact on queer people’s lives and in doing so continue to positively impact on wider society.
Nell James Grace from ‘Queer Tours of London – A Mince Through Time’ said “ALL ABOARD THE BANG BUS! This is the newest addition to our programme of queer tours and marks the 50th anniversary of the 1967 ‘Sexual Offences Act’ which led to the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality. EVERYONE is welcome on the BANG BUS and we aim to make it as accessible as possible! The BANG BUS will happen on the last Saturday of every month. A the first being a tour of the best and brightest legendary queer club nights north of the river!’
Dan Glass from ‘Queer Tours of London – A Mince Through Time’ said “Climb aboard the BANG BUS! On the 50th anniversary of the ‘Sexual Offences Act’ send a message from London telling the world we exist to build strength, unity and passion within our LGBTQIA+ community, that we honour our history and won’t let our futures – or our spaces – be written over by anybody. THE BANG BUS. HOMO HISTORY. HOMO HEDONISM. HOMO HOPE.”
“A second home to lesbians and gay men in need of refuge from Margaret Thatcher, Hi-NRG and drag shows and keen to find themselves amongst its assortment of queer punks, goths, skins, rockabillies and anyone else who didn’t quite fit in anywhere else. An oasis for pop stars (Jimmy Somerville, Sinead O’ Connor etc) and actors and directors (Derek Jarman, Margi Clarke etc) inspiration for fashion industry A-listers (Jean Paul Gaultier) and first port of call for people clutching buckets for donations to anti-establishment causes, (Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners, CND, trades unions, Lesbian and Gay Switchboard).” Rob Pateman ‘I Remember the Bell in Kings Cross’
“We are so proud to be a part of this incredible project celebrating our queer history and campaigning to protect LGBTQ+ nightlife and culture. With the force of gentrification continuing to threaten queer spaces, it is more important now than ever to rally together as a community and ensure that we protect queer venues as vital places to love freely, celebrate diversity and forge community.” Emma Kroeger, Dalston Superstore
“The first stop on BANG BUS tour is the Black Cap. This highlights its importance as an iconic LGBTQ+ venue since the early 1960s but also, as we approach the third anniversary since its closure, it draws attention to the ongoing fight to save and reinstated this much loved and iconic queer pub to its rightful place as North London’s cabaret venue and ‘Palladium of Drag’”. Alex Green #WeAreTheBlackcap #IAMTHEBLACKCAP #savetheblackcap #lessflatsmoreheels
Contact Details
Email: queertoursoflondon@gmail.com
Phone: Dan Glass on 07717811747, Nell James Grace on 07472771068
Twitter: https://twitter.com/queertoursofldn
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/529817234038912/
Notes to Editors
- ⅓ of London’s LGBTQIA+ spaces have been shut in the last 5 years – https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2017/apr/21/lgbt-london-venue-closures-capital-future-night-tsar
- www.galop.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/The-Hate-Crime-Report-2016.pdf
- All info here
- All Aboard the Bang Bus! No.1 – Get your tickets here
- All requests for involvement, press and questions to queertoursoflondon@gmail.com
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*LINE-UP*
Bus Stops for September 30th – BANG BUS 1
- 6pm – PICK UP POINT – 1960’s @ The Black Cap – pick up @ the Black Cap in Camden – 171 Camden High St, London NW1 7JY
- 6.30pm – 1970’s @ Gay Liberation Front Disco! Housmans at 5 Caledonian Rd, Kings Cross, London N1 9DY
- 7.45pm – 1980’s @ The Bell – at the Bell, 257 & 259 Pentonville Road N1 9NL – More info at ‘A Queer History of Kings Cross’
- 7.15pm – 1990’s @ Trade at Turnmill Street, Clerkenwell, Islington, London EC1M – more here ‘Last Dance: How London’s after-hours clubbing scene finally faded out’
- 8pm – 2000’s @ The Joiners Arms welcomed by The Friends of the Joiners Arms campaign
- 9pm – LAST STOP – 2010’s @ The Joiners Arms Fundraiser at Dalston Superstore – 117 Kingsland High St, London E8 2PB with the hosts of the Dalston Superstore’s amazing ’50 years of London’s Queer Nightlife’ exhibition!
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*DETAILS*
Board the bus at 6pm sharp in front of the Black Cap in Camden – 171 Camden High St, London NW1 7JY
We will finish at the@ The Joiners Arms fundraiser at Dalston Superstore – 117 Kingsland High St, London E8 2PB
WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE! Please get in touch if we can make the night any more accessible for you.
*SAFER SPACES POLICY* – The Bang Bus is a utopia away from homophobia, transphobia, harassment, racism, xenophobia, ableism and all forms of oppression. Anyone who threatens this will be kicked off by our queer security team.
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*BANG BUS DEMANDS*
JUSTICE – We demand an apology from the British Government on how queer people have been treated and criminalised. We demand a new policy that addresses the specific needs of the queer community.
CULTURE – We demand proper provisions for our community to thrive – a queer museum, queer community centre and an immediate halt to the closure of queer spaces and substantial support to bring back and create new spaces.
SPACE – We demand City Hall confront property developers and gentrifiers who are destroying the queer fabric of london and institutional support for the BANG BUS and all queer community programmes.
PROTECTION – Proper homelessness provision for queers by Scrapping Help to buy and right to buy, encourage the building of more social housing and Improve renters rights.
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ABOUT QUEER TOURS OF LONDON – A MINCE THROUGH TIME
For this years 50th anniversary of partial decriminalisation of homosexuality ‘QUEER TOURS OF LONDON – A Mince Through Time’ are being set up to bring forth the visibility of our incredible community at large and the journey to how we became who we are today. Against the backdrop of the mass closure of LGBTQI (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex) cultural spaces and support services, ‘QUEER TOURS OF LONDON’ are being developed to support London’s current queer activism, culture and performance in all its glory. Find out more at www.queertoursoflondon.com
“London’s LGBTQ+ heritage is rich, diverse and important: but is often hidden and in danger of being forgotten. Our collaborations with Queer Tours are energetic, hopeful and vital explorations of this history.” Tom Furber and Jan Pimblett – London Metropolitan Archives
