Join us for a screening of Pride followed by a discussion of its themes and contemporary relevance at 2pm Wednesday 11th November at the Hitchcock Cinema in ArtsOne. All students and staff welcome!
In 1984, a group of queer activists and striking miners came together in solidary to make history. 2014’s Pride (dir. Matthew Warchus) brought that story to the big screen.
Based on the true story of the formation of the Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners (LGSM) campaign group during the 1984 Miners’ Strike, Pride depicts an important and sometimes devastating true story while remaining a rare example of unapologetically joyful queerness in mainstream cinema.
Having been inspired by a talk held by a striking miner and sympathising with the demonisation striking miners faced from the government and press, founding LGSM members Mark Ashton and Mike Jackson started collecting donations to support striking miners experiencing financial hardship at London Gray Pride 1984. In a Bermondsey council flat soon after, the first meeting of LGSM was held and the group began fundraising to support striking miners and their families around London’s LGBTQIA+ venues and notably the UK's oldest LGBT+ bookshop, Gay’s The Word, which is still going strong in Bloomsbury to this day.
Despite harassment from police while collecting, LGSM continued to fundraise throughout the year-long strike and visited mining communities in Wales where families were greatly appreciative of their support and keen to host them. The movement spread as LGSM groups were formed across the UK and, in late 1984, a ‘Pits and Perverts’ benefit gig was held at the Electric Ballroom and raised over £5,000 to support striking communities.
Though the campaign group folded after the end of the strike, the miners went on to support LGBTQIA+ rights. The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) called for lesbian and gay equality to be included in the policies of both the Labour Party and Trade Union Congress (TUC) and their support was instrumental in getting such motions passed. On the announcement of further pit closures in 1992, LGSM reformed as Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners Again (LGSMA) and, though the group is no longer active, LGSM is still associated with liberation efforts such as Focus E15 and Lesbians and Gays Support the Migrants today.
In this period of rising hostility towards marginalised groups and ongoing fights for trans rights, Pride’s message about the importance of solidarity between marginalised communities, queer visibility and resistance in the face of discrimination are just as relevant today as they were in the 1980s. It’s with this in mind that we are excited to host a screening of the film and post-screening group discussion of its themes, strengths and limitations, and relevance to liberation efforts both historical and contemporary.
With its star-studded cast including Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton, and Andrew Scott, and its celebration of a milestone moment in UK queer and labour history, Pride is a wonderful and important film that cannot be missed.
We aim to create a welcoming space for everyone interested in queer history and liberation to enjoy the film and foster a safe space for reflection and shared learning, regardless of your familiarity with queer history.
Join us for a screening of Pride followed by a discussion of its themes and contemporary relevance at 2pm Wednesday 11th November at the Hitchcock Cinema in ArtsOne. All students and staff welcome! Find out more information about the screening here.
Image source: David Jones 960px-London_Pride_2015,_LGSM_and_Welsh_miners_2.jpg (960×720)