Mark Ashton rallied the lol LGBTQI muny's support for strikg mers South Wal the 1980s, and was memorialised the popular film, 'Pri'. He's now been memorialised wh a plaque ont of the 'Gay's the Word' bookshop London, where he created LGSM.
Contents:
- REMEMBERG MARK ASHTON: A PROUD ADVOTE OF SOCIALISM AND GAY RIGHTS
- ON THIS GAY DAY: ACTIVIST MARK ASHTON DIED 1987
- THE REAL-LIFE TRIUMPHS OF THE GAY MUNIST BEHD H MOVIE PRI
- WHEN MERS AND GAY ACTIVISTS UNED: THE REAL STORY OF THE FILM PRI
REMEMBERG MARK ASHTON: A PROUD ADVOTE OF SOCIALISM AND GAY RIGHTS
A plaque memoratg the life of Mark Ashton - the young gay activist whose passnate work rallyg support for the Welsh mers the 1980s was memorialised the film Pri - has been placed was the secretary of the Young Communist League, and found Lbians and Gays Support the Mers (LGSM) 1984. He passed away only three years later of AIDS-related plitns at the age of would get together for meetgs at the Gay's the Word bookshop London, where Ashton would rally muny support for the mg muni South Wal who were alg wh p closur, and were nsequently livg wh the members of LGSM, Ashton rried out bucket llectns London's gay and lbian bars and clubs.
They end up raisg around £20, 000 for Welsh mg plaque memorialisg Ashton was placed at the Gay's the Word bookshop, Marchmont Street Bloomsbury, unveilg of the plaque took place on May 19th, which would have been Ashton's 57th of LGSM, Mike Jackson, told the that the loss of Mark was still wily felt:"To this day, Mark’s loss remas eply felt by so many fay members and iends. “And why should gay people like me support the mers? “Bee mers dig for al, which produc power, which allows gay people like to dance to Bananarama till 3 o’clock the morng.
ON THIS GAY DAY: ACTIVIST MARK ASHTON DIED 1987
This was an LGBT forward film where straight people were terviewed on their view of homosexualy. LGSM (Lbians and Gays Support the Mers). Undoubtedly, Lbians and Gays Support The Mers is his most imprsive achievement.
“Support civil liberti and the stggle of lbians and gay people. Mark Ashton’s chary was active a time where homophobia was mon. “If 1 5 people are gay, then one five mers mt be too right?
THE REAL-LIFE TRIUMPHS OF THE GAY MUNIST BEHD H MOVIE PRI
“So if you thought the Gay Pri march ’85 was movg, you should have seen the funeral.
Also, on what would have been Mark Ashton’s 57th birthday, a blue plaque was raised above Gays the Word his honour. Gays the Word is an pennt bookshop London and is the olst LGBT bookshop the UK.
WHEN MERS AND GAY ACTIVISTS UNED: THE REAL STORY OF THE FILM PRI
In fact, Gays The Word was equently a meetg place for LGSM.
Mark Ashton was an Irish gay rights activist and unexpected hero of the mg muny back the 1980s. By the mid-70s, the small town of Portsh was home to gay-iendly bars as well. As the leadg thory on Ashton, Daryl Leeworthy pots out that London was a world away om both The Troubl and the homophobia of Ian Paisley’s ‘Save Ulster om Sodomy’ mpaign.
At this time, homosexualy was also largely crimalised England. In 1983, he was terviewed for a documentary by the Lbian and Gay Youth Vio Project. LGSM met at Gay’s The Word bookshop on this se 1984/5 – 66 Marchmont Street, London WC1N 1AB.