Making Place and Community: Contrasting Lesbian and Gay, Feminist and Queer Oral History Projects in Brighton and Leeds

Abstract

LGBTQ communities across Britain have created dozens of local history projects, especially in recent years. Springing from distinctive local towns and cities, these oral history projects have mostly, since 2000, been publicly funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. This article compares the aims, approaches, and structures of queer community history-making over the past thirty years in two English cities, the south coast seaside resort of Brighton, nationally known as a hub of gay life, and the northern postindustrial city of Leeds. It will discuss the formation and objectives of seven LGBT, feminist, and queer oral history projects in these cities, their funding and increasing professionalisation, their local impact, and, finally, the issues raised by the shift in conceptualization from “lesbian and gay” to “queer.” How the projects were formulated and how this has changed over time demonstrates the distinct ways in which community oral history-making has reflected differences in LGBTQ and queer place identity.