During the Victorian period, Sheffield was a working-class city with its steel and coal trades at the centre of its culture. Yet, living on the outskirts of the city centre was a poet named Edward Carpenter. There, in Milthorpe, he lived with his partner, George Merrill, together as openly gay men.
For the LGBTQ+ community, it is important to constantly reflect on and celebrate its diverse history. Since queer history is rarely discussed within the education curriculum, for many members of the LGBTQ+ community self-education and independent research is one of the few ways to become exposed to their history. While some events like Stonewall and the fight for equality are highlighted, some of the histories closest to us are still kept hidden.
For many historians and researchers specialising in Britain’s queer history, discovering information from anywhere outside of London is a difficult challenge despite the LGBTQ+ community existing in all areas of British society – including Sheffield.
Sheffield’s history of the LGBTQ+ community stems back to the late sixties and early seventies when a small room upstairs in a pub called the King’s Arms served as a meeting place for members. Despite this safe space being created, members sometimes were met with homophobic slurs when they entered the pub, highlighting that much more change was needed in terms of societal attitudes.
Soon, many more gay bars opened in Sheffield, but they were usually in remote areas, like Attercliffe, a working-class suburb of the city where the steelworks were located. Quite the opposite of the thriving Sheffield gay club scene we know now.
There were also political developments in Sheffield that meant by 1972 Sheffield had a branch of Campaign for Homosexual Equality. This group held local campaigns to speak to MPs about gay rights and demanded the provision of services for LGBTQ+ people. Despite the main focus being on the rights of gay men, separate women and transgender groups were also created.
Furthermore, in 1975, the Campaign for Homosexual Equality group held its third annual conference in Sheffield. It is at this conference that it became noted that this group were neglecting the lesbian identity, and women within these queer spaces were starting to find their own voice, and create their own spaces.
During the AIDS crisis in the 1980s, activists within Sheffield created the ‘Gay Phone’ and ‘Lesbian Line’ to act as support for anyone affected. The ‘Lesbian Line’ in particular was a demonstration of this emerging scene that finally included queer women. With this line, women could receive advice, information, or even just someone to listen to them.
Some of the people involved in the creation of the ‘Lesbian Line’, also were involved in setting up Gwenda’s Garage – an all-women garage aiming to help women find work in a male-dominated industry, demonstrating the overlap between local feminist and lesbian circles.
Although the community was growing, women were continuing to feel excluded from these LGBTQ+ spaces. Women in Sheffield decided to take this into their own hands and created meet-ups at a pub named ‘The Hole in the Wall’ as well as running women’s discos.
The Leadmill also played a pivotal role with Sheffield women also hosting a monthly women’s performance night at the iconic venue. Many comedians, such as Jo Brand, were involved in these events – creating a stage for women to express themselves.
In 1997, the Women’s Cultural Club was established, which again served as a queer-friendly space for women, separate to commonplace male-dominated areas. It is hardly surprising a sign on Chesterfield Road featured a handmade placard which read, Sheffield – ‘the Lesbian Capital of the North’. It truly was a place where queer women were able to create their own spaces separate from the existing gay scene which was dominated by men.
Although Sheffield’s first successful Pride event was not until 2008, it is clear that it has a rich history with the LGBTQ+ community. Although, more underreported than cities like London and Manchester, it is important to not forget the community that existed within Sheffield.
For anyone interested in learning more about Sheffield’s Queer History, search for Steel City Queer History.
