Culture And Memory

The Heritage Hotline: Thanet’s LGBTQ+ history from the 1960s to 2000s

Margate Pride will carry out research and create an archive of Margate and Thanet’s LGBTQ+ history from the 1960s to 2000s, preserving stories and objects that have long been overlooked. This intergenerational project will celebrate and invest in the LGBTQ+ community through training, archiving, and research, empowering individuals to shape their own narrative. A public programme will engage the wider community, raising awareness of the region’s rich queer heritage. The archive will be housed in two established repositories, ensuring long-term care and access. Legacy outcomes will include a radio series/podcast, zine and archive, making these histories visible, shareable, and enduring. We aim to honour older LGBTQ+ voices and inspire younger generations with a deeper understanding of their cultural lineage. This will also coincide with Margate Pride’s 10th anniversary, and the 60th anniversary of the partial decriminalization of homosexuality in the UK, via the Sexual Offences Act 1967.