CLASS DESCRIPTION
A History of Queer Women’s Hairstyles’ is a deep-dive into the hairstyles that queer women have worn throughout history. From the slick, modernist Eton Crops of 1920s lesbians which at once signalled sexuality and modernity to the long locks and beehives of 1950s femmes; from the shaved heads of contemporary butches and disgraced women of centuries gone by to the specific hairstyles of Black women and their significance in queer communities – this talk is about the times when hair isn’t just hair. Mullets or curls, styled or natural, hairstyles are just as much a part of queer women’s fashion history as any piece of clothing.
In this lecture, we’ll look at historic painting and illustrations, as well as modern photographs. We’ll read the words of queer women from the past and the present who found significance in their hair, as well as archival newspapers, biographies, and even modern-day Tumblr posts. A history of queer’s women’s hairstyles is as varied and diverse as the people whose heads are crowned by them.
ABOUT OUR LECTURER
Eleanor Medhurst (she/her) is a queer historian and the author of ‘Unsuitable: A History of Lesbian Fashion’ (2024) and Dressing Dykes, an online blog about lesbian fashion history. She has degrees in design and fashion history at BA and MA level from the University of Brighton, and has also worked towards the sharing of queer histories through her involvement with Queer Looks and Queer the Pier, exhibitions at Brighton Museum.
INSTAGRAM: @elliemedhurst @dressingdykes
TIKTOK: @elliemedhurst
WEBSITE: dressingdykes.com
DONATE TO FLP
Love what you’re seeing? Help The Feminist Lecture Program to keep our Pay What You Can ticket model, and to continue scheduling an incredible line-up of lectures by donating a little extra.
You can send us a ‘tip’ via our PayPal link here: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/my/profile
SUMMER TERM 2025
Monday 5th May
Clelia McElroy (she/her)
Killjoy: Anti-Heroines of Thriller and Horror Cinema
Monday 12th May
Lucy Wright (she/her)
A Feminist Reclamation of Folk
Monday 19th May
Dr Helen Gørrill (she/her)
Women Can't Paint: Gender, the Glass Ceiling and Values in Contemporary Art
Monday 26th May
Eleanor Medhurst (she/her)
A History of Queer Women's Hairstyles
Monday 2nd June
Ama Josephine Budge Johnstone (she/her)
Eluding Capture: Shooting and Showing the Black Body from the Heart of Empire
Monday 9th June
Minna Salami (she/her)
From Andro-Africanism to Europatriarchy: Decoding Masculine Power
Monday 16th June
Dr. Kimberly Baltzer-Jaray (she/they)
Alien: A Perfect Queer Organism Film
Monday 23rd June
Daisy McManaman (she/her)
A Girl Resembles a Bunny: A Feminist Re-Analysis of Representations of Women in Playboy
Monday 30th June
Dr. Giulia Palladini (she/her)
Indomitable and Undomesticated: A Feminist Reclamation of the Domestic
Monday 7th July
Amy Hale (she/her)
Ithell Colquhoun and The Vital Energies of Land and Body
Monday 14th July
Marie-Anne Mancio (she/her)
Whoreticulture: The Sexworker in Western Art
RECORDING
A recording of the lecture will be sent out by The Feminist Lecture Program after the event finishes, within 2 hours of the end of the class. This email will also contain any resources/reading list the lecturer shares.
Please add hello@feministlectureprogram.com to your email contacts to ensure you receive the recording as expected.
Please note that the recording will expire 7 days after sending.
PAY WHAT YOU CAN
Everyone is welcome to join this Pay-What-You-Can class. We suggest a donation of £20, however, we understand that may not be possible for everybody. Please be honest and pay what you can afford so that we can continue to offer our sessions on a donation basis.
MORE FLP…
Can’t get enough? The Feminist Lecture Program has our very own digital archive, where you can find some of the best past lectures from our back catalogue to rent and watch ON DEMAND. Check out our ever growing collection here: https://thefeministlectureprogram.vhx.tv/
Follow us on Instagram @thefeministlectureprogram
And check out our sustainable merch from FLP Studio at https://feministlectureprogram.com/shop & @flp__studio
And that's it!
We're really looking forward to you joining us x