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Museum of London

London's LGBTQ+ History

From Molly Houses to Folklore, explore LGBTQ+ History at the Museum of London with our videos, articles and more.

In this section

Explore the heritage of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans Londoners through stories from our rich collections.

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    Queer As Folklore

    Join historian Sacha Coward for our latest video series! Inspired by objects in our collection, we explore the connection between mythical creatures and the queer community from Faeries to Unicorns.

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    London's Queer Objects

    Inspired by our in-gallery Queer City tours led by visitor host Andrew Millar, we've launched an online mini-series exploring 5 objects from our collection that are connected to London's rich queer history.

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    Learn more about the Labrys Earrings

    We've teamed up with LGBTQI Heritage Curator & Educator Claire Mead to explore the history of the labrys, a double-headed axe. Discover how it's connected to goddesses and warrior women and how it became a lesbian feminist symbol.

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    Pride and Prejudices: 22 years on

    Matthew Hodson was the creator of the first LGBT exhibition here at the Museum of London in 1999, Pride and Prejudice: Lesbian and Gay London.

    Our Proud History Champion Michael interviewed him, discussing everything from museums to activism and how the LGBTQ+ community has changed through the years.

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    Learn more about Molly Houses

    Who were Princess Seraphina and Susan Guzzle and what were Molly Houses? Find out the answer to these questions and discover what Georgian London was like for gay men with London Tour Guide Nick Collinson in this short video!

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    Night Flowers: stunning portraits of London's alternative club scene

    After dark, the Night Flowers bloom: London's most fabulously dressed revellers. Curator of Photographs Jilke Golbach interviews photographer Damien Frost about his astonishing portraits of London's queer nightlife, captured in clubs and on street corners.

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    Remembering London's LGBTQ+ nightlife

    Queen Mary University students from Quest Radio have delved into our oral histories collection to bring you snippets from London's clubbing scene - from the first visit to Heaven, to today's alternative drag scene. Take a listen!

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    Shop LGBTQ+ History Month

    Explore our selection of books marking LGBTQ+ History Month, from essays to fiction.

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London's queer history

Discover more about past Londoners

Small shot of the Royal Vauxhall Tavern print. LGBTQ

The Royal Vauxhall Tavern: charting an iconic LGBTQ venue

A two-metre wide hand-drawn map shows the queer history of South London.
Roman Emperor Hadrian and his lover Antinous. LGBTQ

Were the Romans gay? LGBTQ Londinium

Recent Roman scholarship reveals same-sex love in Roman London.
Selection of medieval leather shoes, including one with a very strong point. LGBTQ

Satan's Claws: pointy shoes and sodomy in medieval London

How do the pointed medieval shoes in our collection relate to London's LGBT history?
Gay Pride Discover LGBTQ

Hidden Pride: London's LGBT history

Looking through our collection for signs of the long struggle for gay rights.