'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.
We will be joined by Jon Ward who has been part of the Friends of the Joiners Arms campaign group since 2014, and can regularly be found at their monthly drag cabaret nights, Lèse Majesté, where he'll most likely be working the tips and merchandise stand before drunkenly heading to the dancefloor. Jon teaches and writes about popular and visual culture, and in his work is particularly interested in representations of gender, sexuality, race, and the nation-state.
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
About Queer Footprints - A Guide to Uncovering London's Fierce History - pre-order here
This groundbreaking guide will take you through the city streets to uncover the scandalous, hilarious and empowering events of London's queerstory. Follow in the footprints of veteran activists, such as those who marched in London's first Pride parade in 1972 or witnessed the 1999 bombing of the Admiral Duncan pub in Soho.
Accompanied by a chorus of voices of both iconic and unsung legends of the movement, readers can walk through parts of East, West, South and North London, dipping into beautifully illustrated maps and extraordinary tales of LGBTQIA+ solidarity, protest and pride. The shadows of gentrification, policing, homophobia and racism are time and again resisted.
From the Brixton Fairies to Notting Hill Carnival to world-changing protests in Trafalgar Square, Rebel Dykes to drag queen communes, ‘Queer Footprints’ celebrates the hidden histories of struggle and joy. Including an accessibility guide and a list of these gems for your pleasure - queer spaces, clubs, networks and resources galore.
Praise for Queer Footprints - Published by Pluto Press
This electrifying book is an adventure book through London’s untold queer past. Every page is packed with inspiring, moving and downright hilarious secrets just itching to be uncovered - and with the riotously entertaining Dan Glass as your mincing tour guide - you’ll have an absolute blast as you do. A word of warning: after reading this, London will never seem the same again' - Sam Arbor, Film Director