Lesbians Against Pit Closures

Lesbians Against Pit Closures (LAPC) were an alliance of lesbian women who came together to support the National Union of Mineworkers and various mining communities during the UK miners' strike of 1984–1985. They were formed after a schism in the Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners (LGSM) movement, in November 1984.[1] Members of the organisation were involved in picket line protests against the delivery of coal to the factories by strikebreakers.[2]

History

We do regular collections around lesbian pubs and clubs [...] we do collections outside of supermarkets, as well, to try and involve other people in what we're doing, as well as the normal activities in colleges and workplaces that other people are involved in as well.

– LAPC activist, speaking for All Out! Dancing in Dulais (produced by LGSM)[2]

LAPC originated when a number of lesbian LGSM members decided they needed to split from LGSM to create a women-only space for lesbians. This was mainly due to issues concerning sexism, misogyny and lesbophobia among men in the LGSM movement. Ray Goodspeed, an LGSM member, says: "The men in the meetings were generally like men in most meetings," and according to founders of LAPC, when the issues of a lesbian-only organisation were discussed in LGSM, "they [LGSM members] often snorted with derision". LAPC was also formed as a group to give women a voice,[3] as with Women Against Pit Closures, to help bring feminist ideas into a working men's sphere, such as a miners' institute.[4] Some women said they were intimidated by the gay men who made up the bulk of LGSM membership.[5]

The alliances which the campaign forged between LGBT and labour groups also proved to be an important turning point in the progression of LGBT issues in the United Kingdom. Miners' labour groups began to support and endorse and participate in various LGBT pride events throughout the UK; at the 1985 Labour Party conference in Bournemouth, a resolution committing the party to support LGBT equality rights passed for the first time due to block voting support from the National Union of Mineworkers; and miners' groups were among the most outspoken allies of the LGBT community in the 1988 campaign against Section 28.[6]

Activities and fundraising

LAPC used some similar tactics to LGSM, such as rattling buckets outside of bars and clubs to raise money for the miners, but operated with a specific focus on women's issues. They held weekly planning meetings, for which they shared the duties of taking and sending out minutes, and photocopying. They organized daily collections outside supermarkets, visited pit village, attended picket lines, and organized women-only benefit nights.[7] They marched with their banner in the Lesbian Strength March in 1985 and the London Gay Pride March in 1985, alongside LGSM and the mining communities. At one point they organized a women-only day at Kentish Town Women's Centre for themselves and some of the mining women from Dulais valley.[7][3]

With LGSM, they were a part of a short promotional film about the two group's unified work during the Miners' Strike called All Out! Dancing in Dulais.[2]

Depiction in Pride

The film Pride, which depicted the unity of LGSM and the Onllwyn mining community in Wales,[8] also mentioned the LAPC splinter organisation.

See also

References
  1. unlockideas (31 January 2014). "Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners in their protests for "Coal not Dole"". Working Class Movement Library and People's History Museum. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  2. Cole, Jeff. "All Out! Dancing in Dulais". Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  3. Winson, Rebecca (4 February 2015). "What today's activists can learn from the Lesbians Against Pit Closures campaign". New Statesman. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  4. Loach, Loretta (1985). "We'll be right here to the end...and after: Women in the Miners' Strike". In Benyon, Huw (ed.). Digging Deeper: Issues in the Miners' Strike. London: Verso. pp. 169–179. ISBN 0-86091-820-3.
  5. "All Out! Dancing in Dulais (film) quoted in 1984. Politics: Lesbians Against Pit Closures". www.gayinthe80s.co. 20 August 2015.
  6. Kelliher, Diarmaid (2014). "Solidarity and Sexuality: Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners 1984–5". History Workshop Journal. Oxford Journals. 77 (1): 240–262. doi:10.1093/hwj/dbt012.
  7. "Lesbians Against Pit Closures". lgsm.org. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  8. Knegt, Peter (22 April 2014). "Here's The First Image From Matthew Marchus's 'Pride,' Which Will Close Directors' Fortnight at Cannes". Indiewire. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
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