Brighton: The Capital of the UK

Yes, you read it correctly: Brighton is the capital of the UK, the gay capital. I’ve been living in Brighton for eight weeks now and I’ve loved every minute of it so far, one thing that still intrigues me is how open-minded and accepting this city and its people are.

While walking through the narrow lanes or parading along the seafront you see so many different people, different styles from flamboyant and colourful paradise birds to extreme metal-heads with chains and leather or latex outfits that must make them at least 10kg heavier.

I indulged myself in Brighton’s LGBTQ+ communities over the past few weeks, I spoke to as many people as I could, went to museums and researched as many sources as possible to get to know as much as I could about the status this city is so well known for and proud of. Brighton is woven with inclusivity, equality and tolerance – creating a strong sense of community. It’s part of what makes the city so special and open to all.

History of the Seaside Escape

Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, the city’s proximity to London and the expansion of easy, regular transport to the seaside saw Brighton become an ideal destination for people retreating from London.

By the 1920s and 30s Brighton was well established on the queer social map as 'the place to go and let your hair down'. In the 1930s, many gay and lesbian bars and pubs opened and spread throughout the city – and after World War II, whispers of Brighton’s unique diversions spread to others looking for a safe space to explore their sexuality.

Brighton’s tolerant attitude allowed it to become a focus for queer communities by the 1950’s and in 1973 held its first gay pride event. In the 1980s the communities highlighted the AIDS crisis and more recently, Trans Pride was established in 2013.

Today, an estimated 10 to 15 percent of the city’s population identify as LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer) . It’s easy to see the influence of the LGBT community in nearly every street, particularly in Kemp Town. Here, long-established pubs like The Bulldog, The Camelford Arms and The Marlborough cater to different segments of the LGBT population, including those who identify as non-binary.

Queer looks

I visited two exhibitions to get to know more about Brighton’s gay scene, one of them is called ‘Queer Looks’

Queer looks is a display curated by Martin Pel. It has involved collecting dress and testimony from LGBTQ individuals who live, or have lived in the Brighton area. The focus is on the period 1967 to 2017.

It displays some 20 outfits supported by contextual information. These reflect the LGBTQ community’s lives.

Below are some of the most interesting outfits, paired with their stories:

Adrian Pel (b. 1967) & Ellie Medhurst (b. 1997) left: Adrian Pel is a gay man who moved from London to Brighton. "Vivian westwood was a big designer in the '80s and all the bands I used to listen to wore Westwood. I used to save two weeks' wages and go up there and do some shopping. I was getting to find out who I was. Becuase of the times, I probably wasn't very comfortable with it. I probably didn't wanna be gay, especially with things like AIDS and Margaret Thatcher." Right: Ellie Medhurst, a lesbian who was born in Brighton. "The colour pink became representative of femininity in the late 19th century. In the 20th century pink was appropriated an subverted as an indicator of homosexuality, particularly, but not always, male." Ellie states, 'My style of dress goes against the stereotypes of being gay because it goes above the stereotypes of being feminine and being a woman... wearing pink and skirts and flouncy fabrics is an act of rebellion'.

Jason Snelling (b. 1970) & An Ngugen (b. 1995) Left: Jason Snelling is a gay man who moved from Surrey to Brighton. Jason's boyfriend of the time, who worked under the name Nicholas Immaculate, made this outfit for him. 'The blue combat fabric outfit was made as part of my birthday present in 1995 and was worn to a fashion/fetish night at Substation South in Brixton... I loved it and Nick then made me the matching trousers, collar, hot-pants and skirt, which meant I could get several different looks out of the one them..... It was the '90s and combat fabric of all types was a big look on and off the scene at the time.' 'This was not what I wore daily, I used to dress up quite a lot when I went clubbing back in the 90's. In the late '70's and early '80s, it was very negative living in the middle-class outskirts of London, the commuter belt; it was very dry. Nothing fabulous or lively.' Right: An Ngugen is a gender fluid gay man who moved from Hanoi (Vietnam) to Brighton. An was bon in Vietnam and attended school in Singapore. "it's froned upon to be out in Singapore. They haven't even lifted the ban on homosexual sex yet, so to keep it safe I stayed low key. My parents still don't know I'm gay.' 'I dress to filter out people. In dressing yourself provocatively towards the non-binary you get the sense that people woh are nog supportive o understanding of queer looks will stay away from you - and you think 'Good, stay that way". 'I don't think I starte exhibiting queer until I got to Brighton. It's the first safe place I've had... If you feel a certain way I think it's always ideal that you can exhibit it. One way I can do that is through clothing, because sometimes words are not enough.'

Left: Alf le Flohic (b. 1965), a gay man who moved from Southampton to Brighton, middle: Breeda Duggan (b. 1954), a lesbian who moved from Dublin (Ireland) to Brighton. Right: David Raven ( b. 1933) AKA Maisie Trolette, a gay man who moved from London to Brighton

Transology

The next exhibition I visited was called: ‘The Museum of Transology’. This bold, brave and profound collection of artefacts and photographic portraiture began with donations from Brighton’s vibrant trans community instead of the gay community. It is now the largest collection representing trans people in the UK – if not the world.

This display challenges the idea that gender is fixed, binary and biologically determined by exploring how the objects reflect the participants’ self-determined gender journeys.

BEAR IN MIND: if you decide to visit this museum, the exhibition deals with themes of the body, gender and identity, the content of which may be graphic. Please be aware that some objects are of a sensitive nature, including human tissue.

The People’s Pride

The true spirit of Brighton’s LGBTQ community comes to light each year in early August during Brighton Pride – the UK’s largest (and arguably, most sparkly) pride festival. Drawing people from around the country, the festival welcomes hundreds of thousands to the city with a simple message: ‘We are family’. The weekend-long party kicks off with a vibrant, bawdy parade that winds through the various city ‘villages’, culminating in a party in Kemp Town, with live music and cabaret in Preston Park and even a dog show.

I've worked on this blogpost and researching Brighton's gay and trans communities for a few weeks now and I'm quite pleased with everything that I have learned about it. I hope you have had as much fun reading about it as I had researching and writing it!

Lots of love, Esmee

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Below is a list of other events held in Brighton to celebrate its LGBTQ+ community, in case you were interested in visiting the place : Events:

- February LGBT History Month - Brighton's LGBT History Month celebrates the lives & achievements of the LGBT community through film, art, books & discussion...

-July Eyes Wide Open - As well as the summer Eyes Wide Open Queer Film Festival, the Duke of York's & Dukes at the Komedia cinemas both hold regular Queer film nights...

Trans Pride - The festival which puts the T first includes a celebration in a park and a fantastic arts programme in collaboration with Pink Fringe.

- August Brighton Pride - Loved locally & acclaimed nationally Brighton Pride is a celebration of all that is great about the city & its LGBT community...

-Regular Events Gay Men's Chorus - Brighton Gay Men's Chorus is a stalwart of the Brighton & Hove choir scene & they regularly put on performances...

Bent Double - Brighton Komedia's monthly & irreverent LGBT comedy night hosted by the hilarious Zoe Lyons. Fun & frolics guaranteed...

Marlborough Theatre - The Marlborough pub is a popular lesbian haunt & the accompanying theatre has a focus on queer performance

-LGBT Walking Tours Only in Brighton offer a unique 'Piers & Queers' walking tour of the city, which provides an entertaining look at the characters of Brighton over the last 200 years from an LGBT perspective. Walks run regularly throughout the Brighton Fringe (May), plus private walks are also available on demand.

-LGBT Public Art & Sculpture Brighton & Hove has a number of public art & sculpture pieces that celebrate LGBT life, including the UK's only permanent AIDS memorial sculpture:

'Kissing Policemen' - Banksy Wall Art - Trafalgar Street - Painted on the side of the Prince Albert pub on Trafalgar Street (just below Brighton Station) is one of Brighton's most famous pieces of public art. The original has recently been removed & sold to a private collector, but a permanent copy remains at the site behind a perspex sheet.

The Kissing Wall - Brighton Seafront - This striking 'wall' on the promenade near Brighton Palace Pier consists of a large sheet of blue metal punctured with thousands of holes. When viewed from certain angles light penetrates through the holes and reveals images of local people kissing - of all ages & sexualities.

AIDS Memorial Sculpture - New Steine Gardens - Standing 4 metres high, this dramatic bronze sculpture by artist Romany Mark Bruce depicts two intertwined figures soaring towards the sky. The sculpture forms a shadow in the shape of a red ribbon; the international symbol for HIV/AIDS awareness.