Contents:
- WHEN MERS AND GAY ACTIVISTS UNED: THE REAL STORY OF THE FILM PRI
- LGBT HISTORY MONTH: LBIANS AND GAYS SUPPORT THE MERS, 1984-85
WHEN MERS AND GAY ACTIVISTS UNED: THE REAL STORY OF THE FILM PRI
As historil geographer Diarmaid Kelliher wr, the mers had a surprisg group of alli: urban gay and lbian anizers. Among the supporters was Lbians and Gays Support the Mers (LGSM).
The group took off after a strikg mer spoke to gay activists followg the 1984 Lbian and Gay Pri March London.
LGBT HISTORY MONTH: LBIANS AND GAYS SUPPORT THE MERS, 1984-85
Mark Ashton, a gay man and member of the Young Communist League, said that “prevly I had this semi-antagonistic attu towards the anized labour movement, tra unns, macho het bully boys. Along wh fellow gay activist Mike Jackson, Ashton began llectg donatns for the mers.
” Funds also me om Gay’s the Word bookshop, which was facg s own polil trouble at the time, cludg prosecutns for “cency. The mers and lbian and gay activists found they had much mon, cludg mistreatment by police, misreprentatn the media, and direct attacks om the nservative ernment. LGSM wrote that “if this strike isn’t won, we as Lbians and Gays have a lot to lose when the Tori and their henchmen e for .
After Thatcher cshed the strike, she began phg laws prohibg the “promotn” of homosexualy, known as Sectn 28. " He acknowledg now that this is a le you n only e once a pch and explas that he went on to tell the story of mers the Dulais valley South Wal durg the 1984-5 strike – the longt Brish history – and a gay and lbian group om London that donated more money (£11, 000 by December 1984) to their e than any other fundraiser the UK, along wh a mib emblazoned wh the logo LGSM: Lbians and Gays Support the a when a gree of homophobia was the norm, LGSM drove a uple of mib om Hackney Communy Transport and a clapped-out VW mper van to a bleak mg town South Wal to prent their donatns, uncerta what sort of wele to expect. "The story had bee a legend the gay muny.