In 1971 Abney Park cemetery had become an overgrown wilderness and the Chapel had collapsed. There were a few men wandering around. At the age of 17 and taking photographs for the first time, I presumed they were looking at gravestones of relatives. It was a few years later that I realised they may have been looking for other men. Although private homosexual acts were decriminalised at that time, many aspects of gay male life remained criminal. (not on display at the exhibition)
In 2024 the first gay wedding in the chapel took place between Oliver and Carlos. They said: “ It was always in the back of our minds that civil partnerships and gay marriage were illegal just 20 years ago in the UK. We were gifted something old so that we could show our colours with pride and celebrate progress.” (not on display at the exhibition)
Lavinia Co-op, was born in the Hackney Hospital in 1950 and recalls the experience of growing up in Hackney. Lavinia became a celebrated Drag Queen performing in Europe and New York. “ We’ve come a long way. I can't explain the horror, what it was like before and through the '70s. The struggle goes on. You're vulnerable as a society. You're a minority, and they could take the laws, they could change it, and they're taking away your rights again. You have to find your history in order to sort it out. To me, doing is what it's about, doing gets done. I'm not gonna stop performing. Oh, I'm not going back in no closet.”