On the Record, the National Archives’ (UK) podcast, is back with a bonus episode on LGBTQ+ history.
The National Archives’ collections offer a valuable insight into how the government interacted with and viewed LGBTQ+ communities in the past.
Hosted by Katherine Howells and Mark Dunton, Record Specialists at The National Archives, this episode, tells four stories spanning two hundred years of British history, from same-sex love to secret parties.
It tells the story of two Irish women who ran away to make a home together in 1780, a Manchester drag ball in 1880, a secret gathering space for gay men in 1920s London, and a community archive collected by Black LGBTQ+ Londoners that celebrates communities and spaces active from 1975 to 2010.
There are interviews with Vicky Iglikowski-Broad (Diverse Histories Record Specialist at The National Archives), historian Dr Thomas McGrath and Tom Furber (Engagement Learning Officer at London Metropolitan Archives).
Principle Record Specialist in Diverse Histories at The National Archives, Vicky Iglikowski-Broad, said: “At The National Archives there are many moments in our collections that touch on LGBTQ+ lives. In going about their day to day activity, government has always interacted with LGBTQ+ people, and this has left us a wealth of fascinating materials that you often would not associate with government collections; from tales of illicit gatherings to the wills of lesbian lovers.
“This podcast situates these government records in the context of other collections, including rich community collections and regional archives, to tell a range of stories about past LGBTQ+ lives.”
The On the Record podcast bonus episode from the National Archive is available from 17 February on all podcast platforms.
