#urbanpride

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#6 - Category Is... Books

Congratulations on reaching the end of the poster trail!! I hope you enjoyed your walk through queer Glasgow and learned something of interest to you.

Established in Govanhill in 2018, ‘Category is Books’ is a “fiercely” independent queer bookshop. It was set up by two self-professed genderqueer dykes Charlotte (they/them) and Fionn Duffy-Scott (they/them) with the aim to provide a space to promote queer storytelling within Glasgow through sharing their love of literature, art, history and activism. Accessibility is at the core of the Category is Books ideology, offering home delivery as well as a Pay-It-Forward system ensuring those from lower income backgrounds are enabled to learn and share in queer culture.

The project was inspired partly by the Duffy-Scotts’ upbringing under Section 28, which prevented the type of queer space that they now manage from existing. This was a series of laws brought into effect in 1988 by Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative government which banned the so-called promotion of homosexuality until 2000, when it was abolished in Scotland (2003 in England). Speaking to the Guardian, Lord Michael Cashman, a founder of stonewall said of section 28;

“What was so incredible was the political opportunism. Section 28 had been brought in on the back of the stigmatisation and discrimination suffered by gay men; in particular those dealing with AIDS and HIV. Some people were facing the most appalling deaths, and this was designed to kick us firmly underground.”

After experiencing Section 28 from a queer perspective, after its repeal, the Duffy-Scotts’ eyes were opened to a plethora of literature that taught so much more than was previously accessible about their queer cultural heritage that it moved the couple to set up Category is Books so that this affirming experience could be shared by the queer community today.

The shop window on 34 Allison Street does well to symbolise the tension that exists in urban public space between queer activists and conservative local residents. I had the pleasure of attending a book launch recently for which the Duffy-Scotts were panellists. Here they described how they have used their large shop window as a space for activism, displaying stickers, posters, art and student projects that explore and raise awareness of queer issues. These items have attracted attention from homophobic local residents who have retorted with vandalism, by placing their own material on the outside of the window, even going as far as breaking it on more than one occasion. Undeterred, Category is Books patiently put the shop to rights and continue.

In terms of the queer rights movement, the common misconception is with victories such as equalising the age of consent and legalising gay marriage, that equality is all but achieved. In fact, groups such as Transgender people, People of Colour and queer women are still disadvantaged in areas such as healthcare. This is in part due to the dominance the experience of the white gay man has through queer discourse and there is a need to widen inclusion within these conversations. Politically active queer spaces like Category is Books are pertinent to the cause because they offer exposure to the experiences of all parts of the community, provide role models to young queer minds, and open up conversations which will likely lead to progress.

Category Is Books

Fiercely Independent Queer and LGBT Bookshop in Glasgow, Scotland. ALL WELCOME.

[urbanpride]

#5 - Queens' Park

#5? Aren't you dedicated? And that one wasn't easy to find!

Many know Queen’s Park at the end of Victoria Road in the Southside of Glasgow as an idyllic place to play bowls, tennis, football or even just to spend a summers day with a beautiful view of the city. However, what is little known is that it has been put to queer use, pre-sodomy legalisation, as a cruising ground, with those in the know meeting around the flagpole and finding privacy in the neighbouring tree cover.

The negative aspect about meeting in public space is that the flagpole also became a hotspot for criminals and two of the most prolific were Anthony Miller and James Denovan.

One of the teenage pair (often Denovan) would go to the cruising ground posing as a queer man looking to attract an evening’s company. He would then lure unsuspecting men to areas of dense shrubbery in other areas of the park, where they would find their accomplice lying in wait pretending to be drunk and together, Miller and Denovan would conduct muggings. This practice was common and known as ‘queer rolling’. This was a seemingly fool proof plan because in the 1950s and 1960s, those victims could not go to the police out of fear of being convicted of sodomy or soliciting themselves, with drastic reputational effects.

On the fateful night of the 6th of April 1960, Miller and Denovan lured 48 year old John Cremin from the flagpole, as they are thought to have done to others for around a year before. Cremin was a locally known bruiser and thief so naturally, fought back against attempts to rob him. The teenage pair then hit Cremin over the head and left him for dead. Cremin’s body was discovered the following morning. Miller and Denovan were convicted of Cremin’s murder with the jury taking only 33 minutes to deliver a guilty verdict for both men. Denovan as a 16 year old was sentenced to indefinite detention.

Miller, 19, was sentenced to death by hanging.

When news of Miller’s youth got out, it caused public outrage throughout Scotland, stoking the fires of death penalty abolitionists’ movements. His family started a petition to save Miller’s life, gathering 30,000 signatures but it was ultimately unsuccessful. Anthony Miller was the last person to die by hanging at HMP Barlinnie (81 Lee Avenue) on the 22nd of December 1960 making him the second last person to be executed in Scotland.

The pipeline through which queer culture permeates into popular culture is well observed in the arts, especially through film and theatre. This is due to the function of queer spaces as incubators for radical ideas and socio-cultural provocation. The story of John Cremin’s murder shows the socio-political influence that the practice of queer rolling had on modern society, in catalysing the abolition of Scottish capital punishment, which was facilitated through the existence of queer spaces in Queen’s Park.

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#4 - The White Hats and The Broomielaw

Poster #4? Look at you go!

Although now dominated by the shadow of the Financial District, in the 1920s, the Broomielaw could be considered queered public space as it was infamous for its' occupation by 'The White Hats' gang. The White Hats were male prostitutes who would frequent the Broomielaw to conduct their business, mainly out of a fish restaurant on McAlpine Street. They could be identified by their tightly fitting suit jackets and fashionable women’s clothes as well as their powdered faces and painted nails. Although this made the gang visible, it also drew attention to from the police in a more socially conservative Glasgow than we know today. This raises an interesting question in how queer spaces can be identified as safe and inclusive spaces for queer individuals without marking themselves as targets for homophobic acts.

Led by the notorious William Paton (known as Liz) The White Hats were based out of a shared flat in the Woodlands area of the West End. This unlicensed brothel, like many of The White Hats themselves, was known to the police. The members used aliases that paid homage to popular performers of the time who showcased their acts at venues such as the Britannica Panopticon (113-117 Trongate), The Empire Theatre (31-35 Sauchiehall Street) and The Pavilion (121 Renfield Street)

Almost all of the gang members had petty criminal convictions which prevented them from finding alternate work. Some of the gang members themselves were blackmailed into staying a part of the gang despite having little to lose comparatively. The gang were known for blackmailing, especially of their better-off clients who, if discovered as homosexual, could risk losing both their families and their careers.

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#3 - Nelson's Monument, Glasgow Green

If you've just scanned poster #3, Congratulations you're halfway there!! Keep going!!

Before queerness in society began to be normalised, many, especially gay men turned to the practice of cruising in public spaces. Nelson's monument (Glasgow Green) was known since the mid 19th century as 'The Knob', perhaps partly for it's phallic stature. Dense shrubbery that existed around the monument from around the turn of the 20th century (until the 1960s) offered privacy which allowed the space to be 'put to queer use' at nightfall. Many other cruising spots existed, known to Glasgow's queer community such as the flagpole in Queen's Park and public toilets at Clyde Street, Queen's Park and Cathkin Park.

However, these spots were known to the police, who were known to visit undercover, posing as queer men intending to entrap those who would try to pick them up.

The monument itself was publicly funded and erected in 1806, one year after Horatio Nelson's death and thirty years before Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square. It stands 144ft tall and was designated with a category A listing in 1970.

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#2 - Argyle Street 'Historical Queer Quarter'

Poster #2 already? You’re on a roll!

Unlike in the Merchant City, this space is less visibly queer, and this is because the queer spaces in this area functioned in the 1970s and 1980s, so had almost to ‘hide in plain sight’ before sodomy laws were relaxed and after, when societal acceptance of queerness was still to catch up to the law change. The Waterloo Bar (306 Argyle Street), established in the early 1970s, is considered Glasgow’s oldest gay bar. Popular weekly karaoke nights were hosted by Betty Hutton, who was at the time Glasgow’s best known drag act. As homophobic abuse would have been common in the 70s and 80s an urban legend about Betty Hutton goes that she always used to carry a tin of beans in her handbag so she could use them in self-defence in the event that she received any hassle!

Slightly to the west, The Duke of Wellington (316 Argyle Street) was also a pioneer of the Glasgow gay scene. In the early 1970s, this consisted of The Duke of Wellington, The Waterloo and the nearby Vintners (312 Clyde Street) as most queer parties pre-1980 took place in private homes, most notably on Novar St in the Hyndland area. 316 Argyle Street is currently vacant, most recently let out as a Guitar shop.

One block to the East, The Arches (253 Argyle Street) was a prominent venue for the arts, theatrical events, live music and club nights, all under Central Station. Founded by Andy Arnold in 1991, the Arches was a non-profit space, with the nightclub’s revenue being used to support artistic endeavours. Although not exclusively a queer space, it was often put to queer use hosting club nights such as Burly, which provided a space intended for cruising, Love Boutique, and Death Disco’s camp celebration of the undead. The arches also hosted the ‘GlasGay!’ film festival in 1993 and regularly sponsored the event. Run by ‘Outspoken Arts’, Glasgay! ran for 21 years until their last festival at Glasgow Film Theatre in 2014.

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#1 - Merchant City 'Queer Quarter'

If you’ve made it here, you have found poster #1! Congratulations!

In terms of queer spaces, The Merchant City has played host in the last 30 years to many of the LGBTQ+ community’s best nightlife venues. The closest of which to you currently are Delmonica’s and The Polo Lounge. Delmonica’s (68 Virginia Street) is an LGBTQ+ bar with regular karaoke nights and quiz nights. These have been hosted by famous faces such as Karen Dunbar, Charlie Ross and Tom Urie. Delmonica’s drag show, ‘SUCK!’ takes place every Wednesday with a mixture of resident acts and guests from across the country. Lawrence Chaney was a former SUCK resident where she gained notoriety before winning the second season of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, putting Glasgow’s drag scene on the international map in the US and Canada.

Just around the corner, The Polo Lounge (84 Wilson Street) is a part of The G1 Group that opened a cluster of bars and clubs in the Merchant City, including Delmonica’s and Café Latte (now The Riding Room) aiming to set the block up as an urban node for a commercial ‘gay village’. The red sandstone building with Corinthian orders was designed by Alexander Skirving in 1889. Many references are made to Alexander Thomson in the façade design. Formerly, 84 Wilson Street played host to ‘Scottish Legal Life’, and this is evident from the carved lettering on the frieze of the southwest corner. The even-numbered side of Wilson Street was category B listed on 15 December 1970 as one of the earliest examples of a red sandstone façade of this scale built for commercial use.

Many other queer spaces are located around this node such as the Adult shop Luke & Jack (45 Virginia Street). In the basement is the Virginia Gallery which shows regular exhibitions related to LGBT+ issues including in 2014 when Tommy Clark showcased “LGBT History Lessons: The Scene”.

One block to the East, you’ll find AXM (80 Glassford Street) which opened as Bennet’s disco in 1981, one year after homosexual sodomy was decriminalised in Scotland. This makes it Glasgow’s longest running queer nightclub and it was at one point the largest queer disco in Europe. It was also one of the first to feature a women’s only night known as ‘Girls on Top’.

Eileen Gray (1878-1976) was a prominent bisexual modernist architect and furniture designer.  She proposed queer architecture can be created through the principles of privacy and postponement, which designs of many of the venues mentioned above abide by. Polo and Delmonica’s indoor floor level is higher than the ground level so to create privacy through denying passers-by a view into the space. AXM goes one step further with no windows at all on the stripped back façade and further privacy is guaranteed to clubbers by the extended sequence of entry through a long corridor to the ticket booth and the location of the club rooms on the upper floors.