'Building Bangladeshi Queer Power’: a collaboration between Friends of the Joiners Arms and The Rainbow Tree.
Friends of the Joiners Arms (FOTJA) and The Rainbow Tree are excited to unite to celebrate the launch of ‘Queer Footprints - A Guide to Uncovering London’s Fierce History’ at the Kobi Nazrul Centre, Tower Hamlets' flagship Bengali arts and cultural centre.
'Queer Footprints' centres the power of London’s growing Bangladeshi LGBTQIA+ community and is inspired by the Friends of the Joiners Arms defiant and successful campaign to protect queer spaces.
Join us for this special evening to hear from activists Mazharul Islam and Tashnuva Ferdousi at the helm of ‘The Rainbow Tree’ and Jon Ward from ‘Friends of the Joiners Arms’ alongside ‘Queer Footprints’ author, Dan Glass, about ‘building queer community power and the local Bangladeshi LGBTQIA+ revolution’. The discussion will be followed by special performances by The Rainbow Tree performers Tashnuva Ferdousi (Singer), Asker Ahmed (Dance), Md Sohan (Dance) and Nazir Uddin (poem recitation) and a book signing.
Special thanks to Newham bookshop who will be providing ‘Queer Footprints’ books on the night.
Further Information -
The Rainbow 🌈 Tree - is the United Kingdom based Bangladeshi/Bangali LGBTQ+ community group which aims to create a safe online platform for all the Bangladeshi and Bengali queer people around the world. The Rainbow 🌈 Tree also welcomes all the queer people and it’s ally to join in the group.
Friends of the Joiners Arms (FOTJA) - FOTJA are an award-winning campaign group which came into existence in 2014 to fight against the closure of the Joiners Arms, a queer pub, on Hackney Road in East London. FOTJA has since transformed into an organisation passionate about protecting and creating queer spaces. We aim to open London’s first community-run LGBTQI+ space and want to help reverse the pattern of mass closures of queer venues.
Highlights - includes top tips for creating spaces that celebrate our queer lineage. Learn from the Bethnal green Acid Drag Commune, Red Lesbian Brigade, Rainbow Tree and Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club, Muslim LGBT+ Network, East London Suffragettes, Miss Muff’s Molly House, The Battle of Cable Street, Emma Goldman, The Gay Marxist Group and the Friends of the Joiners Arms.
Price - £5 donation or ticket plus a signed Queer Footprints book for £15.
Queer Footprints map illustrations courtesy of Mark Glasgow
