Queer Britain
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2023}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2023}}
{{Infobox museum
| name = Queer Britain
| logo = Queer Britain, proposed UK national LGBTQ+ museum.png
| image = Queer Britain.jpg
| established = May 2022
| website = {{URL|queerbritain.org.uk}}
| former_name =
| coordinates = {{Coords|51.5357|-0.1239|display=title}}
| location = 2 Granary Square, Kings Cross, London
| type = Museum
| director = Andrew Given{{Cite web|url=https://www.museumsassociation.org/museums-journal/news/2024/11/new-director-appointed-to-lead-queer|title=New director appointed to lead Queer Britain | Museum Association|website=museumsassociation.org/}}
| curator = Jennifer Shearman{{Cite web|url=https://queerbritain.org.uk/our-team|title=OUR TEAM | Queer Britain|website=queerbritain.org.uk}}
}}
Queer Britain is a museum of British LGBTQ history and culture located in Kings Cross, London. It is the first dedicated LGBTQ museum in the UK.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/04/arts/design/lgbt-museums-queer-britain.html|title=The New York Times|website=The New York Times, 4 August 2022}} The museum consists of three connected galleries plus a shop and occupies the ground floor of 2 Granary Square, a building owned by the Art Fund, with office and studio space on lower ground. Admission is free.{{Cite web|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/queer-britain-gives-uk-first-national-lgbtq-museum-rcna27454|title=Queer British history and culture to be displayed and celebrated at new London museum|website=NBC News|date=5 May 2022 }}
History
Queer Britain was founded in February 2018{{Cite web|url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/feb/28/queer-britain-museum-an-overdue-resource|title=Queer Britain museum 'an overdue resource'|date=February 28, 2018|website=the Guardian}} by Joseph Galliano-Doig, a former editor of Gay Times, and Ian Mehrtens.{{Cite web|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/inside-queer-britain-first-uk-lgbtq-museum_uk_62729face4b0b7c8f07ec420|title=Inside Queer Britain, The UK's First National LGBTQ+ Museum|date=May 5, 2022|website=HuffPost UK}} It was registered as a charity in September 2019.{{Cite web|url=https://www.fundraisingregulator.org.uk/directory/queer-britain-museum-ltd|title=QUEER BRITAIN MUSEUM LTD, Fundraising Regulator|date=30 September 2025 }} Joseph was awarded an MBE for services to Heritage, to Charity, and to Diversity and Inclusion in the 2024 New Year's Honours List.{{Cite web |last=Gordon-Farleigh |first=Neve |date=29 December 2023 |title=New Year Honours 2024 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-67833539 |website=BBC News}}
Exhibitions
Prior to gaining its own location, Queer Britain staged occasional exhibitions in temporary locations. In 2018 it staged an exhibition Our Naked Skin in collaboration with the Salisbury Arts Centre including a filmed oral history project, Virtually Queer.{{Cite web|url=https://queerbritain.org.uk/history-2018-virtually-queer-launch|title=HISTORY 2018 Virtually Queer launch | Queer Britain|website=queerbritain.org.uk}} In summer 2019 it staged an exhibition on Chosen Family in Mercer Street Showrooms, Covent Garden.{{Cite web|url=https://queerbritain.org.uk/history-2019-chosen-family|title=HISTORY 2019 Chosen Family | Queer Britain|website=queerbritain.org.uk}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.creativereview.co.uk/levis-teams-with-queer-britain-on-chosen-family/|title=Levi's teams with Queer Britain on new exhibition Chosen Family|date=June 18, 2019|website=Creative Review}}
Queer Britain opened as a physical museum on May 5, 2022, in advance of the 50th anniversary of Britain's first gay pride march.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2022/05/03/queer-london-new-lgbtq-spaces-museums|title=Not one but two LGBTQ cultural spaces to open in London this spring|date=May 3, 2022|website=The Art Newspaper - International art news and events}} The introductory display, Welcome to Queer Britain, consisted of material from the museum's photography archive.{{Cite web|url=https://www.gaycities.com/outthere/60083/uk-welcomes-its-first-lgbtq-museum-queer-britain/|title=UK welcomes its first LGBTQ Museum: Queer Britain|first=Marcus J.|last=Hernandez|date=May 10, 2022|website=GayCities Wanderlust Blog}} The first full exhibition, We Are Queer Britain, occupying all three galleries, opened in July.{{Cite web|url=https://www.museumsassociation.org/museums-journal/news/2022/04/queer-britain-prepares-to-welcome-visitors-to-kings-cross-site/|title=Queer Britain prepares to welcome visitors to King's Cross site|website=Museums Association|date=29 April 2022 }} The exhibition won Best Small Museum Project 2022, awarded by The Museums Association as part of their Museums Change Lives campaign.{{Cite web|url=https://www.museumsassociation.org/campaigns/museums-change-lives/awards-2022/|title=The Museums Association Museums Change Lives Awards 2023|website=The Museums Association, 3 November 2022}} When not on display, the museum's collection is housed at the Bishopsgate Institute.{{Cite web|url=https://londonist.com/london/museums-and-galleries/queer-britain-lgbtq-museum-kings-cross-open-may-2022|title=London's LGBTQ+ Museum Opens In May|date=April 11, 2022|website=Londonist}}
See also
{{Portal|LGBTQ}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{official website|https://queerbritain.org.uk/}}
- [https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2022/apr/28/inside-queer-britain-first-lgbtq-museum ‘This is for everyone!’: inside Britain’s first ever LGBTQ+ museum] (Owen Jones for The Guardian)
- [https://www.vice.com/en/article/why-the-uk-needs-a-lgbtq-museum/ Why the UK Needs a LGBTQ+ Museum] (Interview with Joseph Galliano by Sophie Willkinson for Vice)
{{LGBTQ}}
Category:2018 establishments in the United Kingdom
Category:Museums established in 2022
Category:LGBTQ museums and archives
Category:Sexuality in the United Kingdom
Category:LGBTQ history in the United Kingdom