Study Day - Section 28: Hiding Homosexuality

International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO) will be taking place on Saturday May 17th. To mark the day and as a commemoration of the twentieth anniversary of the implementation of Clause 28, in May 1988, the Lesbian and Gay Newsmedia Archive (LAGNA) is organising a study day. This will also be an opportunity for LAGNA to launch their new website.

Section 28: Hiding Homosexuality will take place at the Dragon Hall, 17, Stukeley Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2B 5LT, between 3-30 and 8-30.

There will be an exhibition of press material from the period, covering the tabloid backlash against the lesbian and gay policies (actual and apocryphal) of a number of local authorities, the social impact of HIV and AIDS, and the routine and recurrent homophobia of Fleet Street's finest (George Gale, Jean Rook, 'Mills the Angry Voice' et al).

Later in the day, there will be a raffle to raise necessary funds for LAGNA, with the chance to win a signed photo of Sue 'Rather Invaded' Lawley among the prizes.

Refreshments will be provided.

The programme for the day:

3-30 Doors open
4-20 Introduction by Robert Thompson (Chair of LAGNA)
4-30 Professor Jeffrey Weeks: the political context of Clause 28
5-00 Lisa Power: the campaigns against the Clause
5-30 Break and film footage, including the lesbian invasion of the BBC news studio on the day the Clause was passed
6-00 Eve Featherstone (Haringey Council Equalities and Diversities) and Stella Hillier (a teacher in the borough at the time): Haringey's Positive Images strategy in the mid 1980s, and the media backlash to its implementation
6-30 Elly Barnes (Stoke Newington School): current initiatives on the issue of the teaching of LGBT issues in the education sector
7-00 LAGNA website demonstration and results of the raffle
7-30 Music

Attendance is free, although places need to be pre-booked. Please provide names of attendees by email to enquiry@lagna.org.uk.

Lesbian and Gay Newsmedia Archive www.lagna.org.uk
International Day Against Homophobia www.idaho.org.uk
Section 28