Northern Ireland’s intriguing queer history draws Tash to Belfast.

In exploring stories that are often kept out of view, Tash hears tales of jailed men, a pioneering community helpline, and intersex experience. They speak to Michael Lawrence, a historian looking into the prison records of men who were convicted of buggery, and digs into the archive of charity Cara-Friend looking back over the letters people sent across its long and heartwarming history with Community Development Manager Adam Murray. The final patches added to our quilt in this episode are stitched by Hannah who shares her life experience, and why it’s important not to hide intersex people, and we end as Tash and Hannah march together at Belfast Trans Pride.

Queer history is often harder to find because it’s been hidden, but everyone in this episode helps to change that.

For this episode we’d like to thank Adam Murray at Cara Friend, Belfast Trans Pride, Grianne Starrs, Here NI and the staff at Ulster Museum.

The Quilt is an Aunt Nell Production, in partnership with Queer Britain, the UK's first and only LGBTQ+ museum, and funded by Mindsets and Missions.

It is hosted and produced by Tash Walker and Adam Zmith.

Music by Rhiannon Takel.

The assistant producer was Marnie Woodmeade.

The associate producers for Queer Britain were Sue Shave, Siân Williams and Katharine Dick.

Mixed and mastered by David Pye.

Mindsets + Missions is funded by UK Research and Innovation in partnership with the Arts and Humanities Research Council and delivered by the Museums Association in partnership with The Liminal Space and the Association for Science and Discovery Centres.

Queer Britain museum is located at Granary Square, Kings Cross in London. It is free to visit and is open from Wednesday to Sunday, 12-6pm.

If you’d like to talk to anyone about any issues raised in this podcast, you can always contact Switchboard - the LGBTQIA+ helpline on switchboard.lgbt or 0800 0119 100.

Transcript available here

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