Take Queer Footprints to the masses!

Please support me and my friend Tom to raise the stakes during this self-funded ‘Queer Footprints’ book tour this Summer. Until the royalties come in months down the line I want to be able to facilitate these important discussions healthily and I would love to be not stressed and scraping by.

ABOUT

Queer Footprints -A Guide to Uncovering London's Fierce History published by Pluto Press this May 2023 - is not just a groundbreaking guide through the city streets to uncover the scandalous, hilarious and empowering events of London's queerstory it is a toolkit for LGBTQIA+ people everywhere to elevate LGBTQIA+ solidarity, protest and pride. in their communities. The stories are drawn from 1500+ case studies of queer protests, people, parties and gatherings, curated into maps (see the picture) that are then made into walking tour routes for queer people to enjoy their neighbourhoods with Pride.

Thanks to Joseph Wilson @josephwilsonfilms for this gorgeous coverage of the Bishopsgate Institute flagship launch of 'Queer Footprints: A Guide to Uncovering London’s Fierce History'

WHY NOW?

Institutionalised homophobia and street attacks are still prevalent in many places. So please help us travel to key areas of political importance this Pride month for book events such as County Mayo in Ireland where fascists attacked Drag Queer story time last year and Lublin in Poland in the heart of the ‘LGBT Free Zone’ policy.

HOW YOUR SUPPORT WILL HELP

Please support us to create a radical and creative toolkit to harvest the key social and political dreams of the book tour attendees into a graphic design poster campaign ‘Building Queer Utopia’, create a toolkit for transformation for all attendees to take home, banners and the creation of a mini book covering the tour at the end of the Summer.

We want 'Queer Footprints' to empower as many people at the sharp end of the knife as possible. As this quote illuminates.

'We forget that all achievements that LGBTQ communities enjoy in the West did not fall from the sky, but rather, are a consequence of political struggle. Queer Footprints honours the people and places who formed that history. A guide, a historical non-fiction and a series of journalistic reporting all in one - I hope all cities across the world can one day have their own Queer Footprints.' - Sergey Khazov-Cassia, Russian Investigate Journalist

SUPPORT WRITER-ACTIVISTS

Writing is a rich person’s game and the entire industry is utterly flawed. Until the royalties come in months down the line I want to be able to facilitate these important discussions healthily and I would love to be not stressed and scraping by. As for how I managed to fund myself through the 3 years of research and writing … It wasn't easy. My publishers at Pluto Press are absolutely brilliant but are caught in the capitalist system like the rest of us. See my union - the Society of Authors - latest report "A picture of a writing profession that is inaccessible and unsustainable for too many" says it all.

But there is always hope! And there is always people power!

HELP US BUILD A MOVEMENT FOR QUEER POWER

The book events are not just book launches but spaces for building a movement where we will be exploring as queer people and allies

Movements come out of curiosities where we awaken to the realities that we are the ones we have been waiting for.

Your money will practically help us to

WHO ARE WE?

Tom is an incredible student-designer from the Brussels School of Art 'La Cambre' working alongside the book's author - Dan Glass. Together we are creating an activist-pack to go alongside the 'Queer Footprints A Guide to Uncovering London's Fierce History' book tour to deepen and expand everyone who attends the book launches to learn from our LGBTQIA+ ancestors toolkit for social change and harvest this knowledge for the next generation. We met on a recent art-activism training where we created a 'Queer map of Brussels' and we enjoyed it so much we want to continue working together! I also want to support, and not exploit, Tom with financial support on his student internship.

Dan Glass is an ‘Aids Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP) healthcare and human rights activist, performer, presenter and writer. Dan has been recognised as 'Activist of the Year' with the 'Sexual Freedom Awards' and was announced a 'BBC Greater Londoner' for founding 'Queer Tours of London - A Mince Through Time. His book United Queerdom: From the Legends of the Gay Liberation Front to the Queers of Tomorrow was recognised as Observer book of the week June. Dan recently founded self-defence empowerment programme Bender Defenders and Queer Night Pride to confront rising hate crime. Contact dan at www.theglassishalffull.co.uk and at [email redacted].uk - @danglassmincer

PRAISE FOR QUEER FOOTPRINTS - Pre-order here

"This electrifying book is an adventure book through London’s untold queer past. Every page is packed with inspiring, moving and downright hilarious secrets just itching to be uncovered - and with the riotously entertaining Dan Glass as your mincing tour guide - you’ll have an absolute blast as you do. A word of warning: after reading this, London will never seem the same again." Sam Arbor, Film Director

'There are remarkable books and then there is Queer Footprints. Highly informative, witty, candid and steeped in historical detail, Dan Glass serves as the bobbin in the weaving process of herstories, bringing you an immersive reading experience which makes necessary the act of radical love. This book will be used to celebrate and honour the forebears of queer movements whose lives have afforded much of the liberties enjoyed today, as well as reminding us that the fight against injustice is far from over. Whether you’re a Londoner, a visitor or someone who's never stepped foot in the city, Queer Footprints will enrich your knowledge of queer history.' - Katlego Kai Kolanyane-Kesupile, writer, artist and queer activist