Carrie Lyell reflects on how to begin the long process of healing BY CARRIE LYELL When I first read about the horrific events in Orlando on Sunday morning, I felt numb. It didn’t matter how many stories I read, or breaking news alerts I received on my phone. I couldn’t shake this emotional daze I [….]
A conversation with Lucie Warrington, the filmmaker taking us Into the Cellar to meet the women who came out of the closet BY GEORGIA BUTLER If you are reading DIVA, the odds are that you’ve been there – in the cramped and uncomfortable closet. The very nature of a heteronormative society means that, to some [….]
The untold stories of queer life in Britain from 45 years ago BY SOPHIE GRIFFITHS As a helpline for anyone who wants to talk about gender identity and sexuality, Switchboard has been hearing from and helping queer people since 1974. Their newest venture comes in the form of a podcast and it’s a great way [….]
After experiencing the summer camp of a lifetime, Shirley Ridson set about creating an event in the UK BY SHIRLEY RIDSON Read the first part of Shirley’s story here: divamag.co.uk/2019/04/16/how-i-met-200-naked-lesbians My friend and I left the magical island of Sejero off the north coast of Denmark, where we had spent a memorable time at a [….]
Shirley Ridson reminisces about one unforgettable summer in the 1970s BY SHIRLEY RIDSON The sight of 200 naked lesbians and bisexual women overwhelmed us as we arrived at the summer camp on the island of Sejero, Denmark in 1978. I was 35 and had seen an advert for the camp. Because my partner at the [….]
“Digital archives are helping LGBTQI communities to take ownership of their stories” BY SHARON WEBB Across the country, individuals and communities (most of whom are volunteers) are collecting, digitising and making available digital objects that capture moments of LGBTQI history – as well as moments of personal histories and herstories. Projects like Queer In Brighton capture [….]
As DIVA celebrates its 25th birthday, Georgina Turner reflects on how much – and how little – has changed since the magazine was first published in 1994 Words Georgina Turner For the queer community in Britain, the 1990s was a decade inflected by Section 28 – pearl-clutching horror at the notion that school children might [….]
