Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners: Difference between revisions
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'''Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners''' ('''LGSM''') was a British campaigning group formed in London in 1984 to raise money and organise support for mining communities during the UK miners' strike (1984–1985. Co-founded by the activists [[Mark Ashton]] and [[Mike Jackson (activist)|Mike Jackson]], it twinned with mining families in the Dulais Valley of the South Wales Coalfield, and became one of the best-known examples of solidarity between the LGBT community and the wider labour movement. | '''Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners''' ('''LGSM''') was a British campaigning group formed in London in 1984 to raise money and organise support for mining communities during the UK miners' strike (1984–1985). Co-founded by the activists [[Mark Ashton]] and [[Mike Jackson (activist)|Mike Jackson]], it twinned with mining families in the Dulais Valley of the South Wales Coalfield, and became one of the best-known examples of solidarity between the LGBT community and the wider labour movement. | ||
== Background == | == Background == | ||
Latest revision as of 16:25, 17 July 2026
Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners (LGSM) was a British campaigning group formed in London in 1984 to raise money and organise support for mining communities during the UK miners' strike (1984–1985). Co-founded by the activists Mark Ashton and Mike Jackson, it twinned with mining families in the Dulais Valley of the South Wales Coalfield, and became one of the best-known examples of solidarity between the LGBT community and the wider labour movement.
Background
During the year-long miners' strike, the government of Margaret Thatcher sequestered the funds of the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), which made national donations impractical. Supporters were instead encouraged to twin directly with individual mining communities in England, Scotland and Wales.[1]
Formation
The group grew out of a bucket collection for striking miners that Mark Ashton and Mike Jackson organised at the Lesbian and Gay Pride march in London in June 1984. LGSM was formally established a few weeks later, after a representative of the South Wales NUM spoke at a meeting at the University of London Student Union.[2][1] Collections were regularly taken at gay venues across London and outside the LGBT bookshop Gay's the Word.[1] Some of the women involved went on to form a separate group, Lesbians Against Pit Closures.[2]
Activities
LGSM raised funds at pubs, clubs and bookshops, and the original London group alone collected around £22,500 for the miners; by 1985 some eleven LGSM groups had formed across the UK, with branches in cities including Manchester, Glasgow and Dublin.[3][1] Its best-known fundraiser was the "Pits and Perverts" benefit concert in December 1984, headlined by Bronski Beat – the name a deliberate reclaiming of a hostile tabloid headline.[3]
Reciprocal visits built lasting friendships between the London activists and the Welsh mining families they supported, including a visit by LGSM members to the Onllwyn Miners' Welfare Hall in the Dulais Valley on 27 October 1984.[2]
Solidarity returned
The support was returned in kind. Mining communities joined the 1985 London Pride march in a show of solidarity, and – with the backing of the NUM's block vote – the Labour Party conference of 1985 passed a resolution committing the party to LGBT rights, a landmark moment in mainstream political support for gay and lesbian equality in Britain.[3]
Legacy
Mark Ashton died of an AIDS-related illness in February 1987, aged 26; the Mark Ashton Red Ribbon Fund was established in his memory.[4] The story of LGSM reached a wide audience through the 2014 film Pride, which won the BAFTA award for Outstanding Debut, prompting the group to reform and take part in Pride events once again.[5] In 2019 plaques honouring Ashton and the Dulais Valley organiser Hefina Headon were unveiled at Onllwyn Welfare Hall.[5]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 What was LGSM?, People's History Museum.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 LGBT History Month: Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners, 1984–85, Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners, Wikipedia.
- ↑ Jamie Doward, "The real-life triumphs of the gay communist behind hit movie Pride", The Guardian, 21 September 2014.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Pride: Dulais miners' strike film inspirations honoured, BBC News, 2019.