Catalogue Number
NMLH.1993.614
Object Name
Banner
Title
'Gay Labour Group'
People
Labour Party, Gay Labour (affiliate group, LGBT+ Labour (affiliate group)
Description
A red banner with yellow lettering which says 'Gay Labour Group'.
The Gay Labour Group was established in 1975 to address the issue of the lack of gay people represented in the Labour Party. This banner was presented to the museum in the mid 1980s when the group replaced it with a new one. The banner was carried at events such as Gay Pride, May Day rallies and other demonstrations. Since its establishment in 1975 the group's name has been changed to 'Labour Campaign for Gay Rights' and later to 'Labour Campaign for Lesbian and Gay Rights' and is currently known as LGBT+ Labour.
The reverse of the banner shows a lambda. This Greek letter was adopted as a symbol by gay and lesbian activists in the 1970s, beginning with the Gay Activist Alliance in New York in 1970. In chemistry the lambda is the symbol for change, and this is likely why Tom Doer chose it for Gay Activists Alliance logo. It was formally recognised at the International Gay Rights Congress in Edinburgh in 1974 as the symbol for lesbian and gay activism and features heavily on LGBT+ community material in the 1970s.
**ON DISPLAY**
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