TRAVEL & GEOGRAPHY

Queer Footprints: A Guide to Uncovering London’s Fierce History

Pluto. May 2023. 368p. ISBN 9780745346212. pap. $19.95. TRAV
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Activist Glass (United Queerdom) guides readers through London’s queer history in this exceptional celebration and acknowledgment of the city’s queer culture. Focusing largely on events since 1967, the book is organized by neighborhood into vignettes that highlight different locations ranging from sites of protest to clubs and health clinics. Each section includes illustrated maps, stories told by legends and lesser-known community members, and commentary by Glass as he travels to these sites in the present-day. Locations that celebrate joy or that increase awareness of struggles are given equal attention, and Glass takes care to focus on the intersectionality and distinctiveness of London’s queer community. This joyful, powerful book also includes an expansive list of resources for further study and action, along with an accessibility guide to support self-guided tours.
VERDICT The author’s work is a significant addition to queer history books and will likely also appeal to readers as an LGBTQIA+ travel guide to London. Give to readers who enjoyed Gay Bar: Why We Went Out by Jeremy Atherton Lin.
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