Features / theatre
Working to undo Section 28
Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988, often just referred to as ‘Section 28’, prevented local authorities in England, Scotland and Wales from ‘promoting homosexuality’. It was repealed in 2003.
One of its many negative impacts was to restrict teachers from discussing LGBTQ+ issues in schools.
A lot of popular stories about Section 28 and historical protests against it focus on London.
is needed now More than ever
Tom Marshman, who grew up in Bristol, wants to diversify the perspective on this period of queer history.
Section 28 and Me will have four showings at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre. Performances will run from May 15 to May 17, with two performances on the 17th.
Gathering untold queer stories
Tom’s performances in Section 28 and Me are informed by people’s stories.
They hosted tea parties nationwide and asked attendees for their Section 28 stories.
Tom explained:“As I got older, I reflected on the impact of Section 28 on me. I have this compulsion to share queer stories and history. I have been wondering if that’s because I came of age during that time. Is it because I didn’t see myself represented growing up, that I now am so focused on telling queer stories?”
Tom held tea parties to inform the performances in Section 28 and Me – photo: Mark Gray
Academics from the Brigstow Institute helped Tom to incorporate historic and legal perspectives into the performances.
“Stories of queer people are historically less visible. Archive material reflects power structures. Therefore stories centring cisgendered, straight, white men are usually dominant,” said Tom.
Platforming historic LGBTQ+ protest
Tom wanted the show to have a 1980s feel to fit the time period and said the show is quite fun despite the subject matter.
Segments of Section 28 and Me include an A to Z of Section 28.
This details milestone moments in queer protest history that took place around the enactment of the law.
“There was the moment that lesbians abseiled into the House of Lords. Or when activists broke into the BBC TV news studio. I turned these into moments of performance art. I think there’s a big crossover between activism and performance,” said Tom.
The performance also includes sections where Tom is in the dressing room, speaking more intimately to a webcam. This is then showed to the audience through a live camera feed.
There are also transition moments where the stories from the tea parties are told through a boombox.
Section 28 and Me received positive feedback from it’s run as part of the Bristol Pride programme last year – photo: Paul Blakemore
Tom wants audiences to reflect on their own stories while watching the show.
They said a lot of people likely hadn’t thought about how Section 28 may have affected their lives.
Section 28 and Me presents an opportunity to look at the past through a different lens.
For example, while Section 28 protest stories about London are very well known, there were also protests in Bristol during that time.
Tom recalled a protest of queer women who went to Tesco in Eastville with pink balloons as a display of queer visibility.
Extending the platform
To make the show as accessible as possible, Tom’s dad is working as a visual describer for the show.
“I chose him because he’s really Bristolian, so he’s got that beautiful accent. But also, growing up, he struggled with my queerness. Now he does the park run in pride colours. He’s an ally in his way,” said Tom.
Tom added that they have also created a podcast for audiences to enjoy alongside the show.
The podcast features four academics discussing Section 28 across four episodes.
“The show opens people up a lot. Audiences have been really eager to share their Section 28 stories with me. People have really amazing stories, which I’ve collected through the tea parties. The reaction from audiences means it’s really resonated with people,” said Tom.
Section 28 and Me will run from May 15 – 17 at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre. Tickets can be bought on the Bristol Old Vic website: https://bristololdvic.org.uk/whats-on/section-28-and-me
The Section 28 and Me podcast can be found on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-208705622
Main photo: Lukasz Izdebski
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