In the lead up to our OUTing the Past Festival of LGBT History at the Museum of Liverpool, 23 February, we will be sharing blogs from our wonderful speakers.
Fourth up is Natasha Walker who was recently appointed co-chair of Switchboard.
She tells us more –
Advert for the Switchboard from 1985
“This is the untold history of Switchboard – the LGBT+ Helpline, the oldest volunteer-led LGBTQ+ charity in the UK. I have spent the last two years looking through these incredible records, and it is no understatement to say that the milestones of the LGBTQ+ communities can be traced in the calls Switchboard has taken since 1974.
The presentation will focus on the Switchboard’s log books – a functional written record of the calls taken by our volunteers – which now through the work I have done in opening the archive, can be seen as a unique chronological retelling of LGBTQ+ history, experiences and attitudes from inside and outside of the communities throughout the years.
Catch Natasha’s talk at 3:30pm
4th March 1984. The Switchboard’s 10th anniversary
A snapshot from the Switchboard archives from around the time of the official launch @bishopsgateInst