Category Archives: History

Åcon Underway

Posted on May 10, 2013 by Cheryl

Yesterday was mainly a travel day, and I slept most of the way from Turku to Mariemamn, thereby saving myself from buying duty-free booze on the ferry. We did, however, have a small amount of programming in the evening. Tricia … Continue reading →

Posted in Conventions, Finland, Food, History | Leave a comment

Jack Wolf On ShoutOut

Posted on March 1, 2013 by Cheryl

I have been catching up with all sorts of things since I got back from Exeter. Included in that is the Shout Out Bristol LGBT radio show. Part of that is ego boo, of course. I get mentioned a couple … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Gender, History, Podcasts, Radio | Comments Off

By Popular Demand

Posted on February 28, 2013 by Cheryl

Our little LGBT History Month exhibition in the M-Shed has proved so popular that it is being extended for a further two weeks to March 17th. I am very happy about this. By the way, we now have a nice … Continue reading →

Posted in Feminism, History | 1 Comment

Gay Cartoon History

Posted on February 22, 2013 by Cheryl

Last night I attended a talk by my colleague, Robert Howes, at Bristol City Library. It was titled “From Scandal to Domesticity: Cartoon Images of Homosexuality”. Basically the idea was to trace the changing public attitudes towards LGBT people through … Continue reading →

Posted in Comics, Feminism, History | 3 Comments

The Minister and I #girlslikeus

Posted on February 19, 2013 by Cheryl

This morning I was up early and off into Bristol to the M-Shed for an important meeting. As you may recall, the LGBT History exhibition that I have been involved in organizing was mentioned in Parliament by local MP, Stephen … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Affairs, Gender, History, Personal | 1 Comment

Harlots, Housewives and Heroines

Posted on February 18, 2013 by Cheryl

This post will, I hope, come as no surprise to UK-based readers, especially the female ones. If they haven’t been watching Lucy Worsley’s series, Harlots, Housewives and Heroines: A 17th Century History for Girls, then they have been missing out. … Continue reading →

Posted in Feminism, History | 9 Comments

Mission Accomplished, Almost

Posted on February 17, 2013 by Cheryl

Well, yesterday seemed to go quite well. We had around 40 people in the audience, and judging from the comments I got afterwards, both at the venue and on Twitter, people appear to have enjoyed my talk. The downside is … Continue reading →

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Yesterday’s Radio

Posted on February 8, 2013 by Cheryl

My appearances on local radio yesterday are now available as podcasts. The Ujima Radio show was all about China, in honor of the Chinese New Year. In this segment, around 23 minutes in, you can hear me enthusing about Ken … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Feminism, History, Podcasts, Radio | Comments Off

New Lost Kingdoms

Posted on February 6, 2013 by Cheryl

Regular readers may remember my enthusing over the two BBC series of Lost Kingdoms of Africa. Well they have done it again, but this time the focus has changed. The new series looks at South America and is hosted by … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, History | 2 Comments

A Mention in Parliament

Posted on February 5, 2013 by Cheryl

Today the House of Commons was debating the second reading of the putative marriage equality bill. As usual with Parliament, a lot of hot air was spouted. However, a significant number of British MPs are openly gay. Many of them … Continue reading →

Posted in Current Affairs, Feminism, History | Comments Off

In The Papers

Posted on February 5, 2013 by Cheryl

We have some media coverage of the LGBT History Exhibition today. The Bristol Post‘s website has a general article up, and a more specific one about Michael Dillon. I understand that there will be coverage in the print edition today … Continue reading →

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Some History Month Reportage

Posted on February 3, 2013 by Cheryl

Dru Marland has kindly done a post about the launch of Bristol’s LGBT History Month, with photos. Here’s one of me making my speech. It’s not my most flattering angle, but the background scenery is awesome.

Posted in History, Personal | Comments Off

The Launch: Phase II

Posted on February 2, 2013 by Cheryl

There were still piles of tools and an unmistakable smell of glue when I arrived at the exhibition gallery this morning. Thankfully I have seen Worldcon from the inside and things like that don’t worry me any more. By the … Continue reading →

Posted in Feminism, History | Comments Off

The Launch: Phase I

Posted on February 1, 2013 by Cheryl

I’m just back from an evening event in City Hall, Bristol, at which LGBT History Month was giving the civic push off the gangway. Peter Main, the city’s first openly gay Lord Mayor, and George Ferguson, our first ever elected … Continue reading →

Posted in Feminism, History | Comments Off

Trans History: It’s Complicated

Posted on January 26, 2013 by Cheryl

Last year I blogged about the excellent talk that Juliet Jacques did for me as part of Bristol’s LGBT History Month program. The stars of the talk were Ernest Stella Boulton and Frederick Fanny Park. At the time I commented … Continue reading →

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Early Russian SF

Posted on December 28, 2012 by Cheryl

The origins of science fiction are a matter of much debate. Frankenstein (1818) is often cited as the first SF novel, while Jules Verne is lauded as the “father of science fiction”. Shelley, Verne and Wells all pre-date the launch … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Science Fiction, Technology | 2 Comments

History – It Requires Research

Posted on December 9, 2012 by Cheryl

A couple of weeks ago the BBC World Service ran a short piece about Christine Jorgensen, an American who underwent gender reassignment in 1952 and returned home to a blaze of publicity. The BBC advertised this as the story of … Continue reading →

Posted in Gender, History | 4 Comments

Taking the Waters

Posted on October 26, 2012 by Cheryl

Today Kevin and I headed into Bath and got wet. A few years back, Bath & North East Somerset Council decided to revive the idea of “taking the waters”. With backing from lottery funding and private investors they built a … Continue reading →

Posted in Health, History, Where's Cheryl? | 4 Comments

More Trains

Posted on October 26, 2012 by Cheryl

Yesterday we visited the Great Western Museum, STEAM, in Swindon. I suspect that hardcore railfans would much prefer the Didcot Railway Centre as it has a lot more rolling stock, but it is only open at weekends. STEAM has a … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Where's Cheryl? | 3 Comments

Live Longer Without Testosterone?

Posted on September 24, 2012 by Cheryl

Remember that bit in 2312 where Kim Stanley Robinson speculates that intersex people will be longer-lived than pure males or females, leading mankind to genetically engineer for intersex traits? Well, here’s a Wired article claiming that eunuchs in ancient Korea … Continue reading →

Posted in Gender, History | Comments Off