Showing 35 results

Authority record
Zamimass
Corporate body · 1990-c.1998

Zamimass was a radical Black lesbian collective which explicitly aligned itself with socialist politics and intersectional freedom struggles. The group began in December 1990 when three Black lesbians organised Zami Love Day, an alternative celebration to Christmas Day featuring poetry readings, music, and a communal meal. Following this, Zamimass coordinated community actions, creative and cultural events, and a regular newsletter, as well as printing posters and other ephemera. From 1991 onward they met regularly at Camden Lesbian Centre, until the space closed around 1995; after this point, they apparently continued some of their activities before winding down in the late 1990s. The collective's manifesta, a copy of which can be found in the Camden Archive, sets out their vision for working towards liberation along lines of class, race, dis/ability, sexuality, gender, and education.

Corporate body · 1988-2006

Women's Health was formed in 1988 as a merger between the Women's Reproductive Rights Information Centre (WRRIC) and Women's Health Information Centre (WHIC). The Women's Health Information Centre formed in 1982; Women's Health Information Centre was established in 1983 after a split from the National Abortion Campaign. At the time of the merger, the group was known as the Women's Health and Reproductive Rights Information Centre (WHRRIC), before changing its name to Women's Health.

The aim of the centre was to provide information and support to women on health and reproductive issues, motivated by the idea of information as a form of political empowerment. They worked with, and acted as a resource for, medical professionals, women in health groups, self-help groups, community groups and trade unions in line with the ethos of the Women's Liberation Movement. The centre collected resources relating to all areas of women's health, including books, leaflets, journals, press cuttings and articles. As well as providing an information service, the centre was politically active, and made submissions to the House of Commons Select Committee on AIDS, as well as acting as a point of contact for the media on women's health and reproductive issues.

Women's Health was based near Old Street and closed in 2006.

GB 1534 RM3 · Corporate body · 1978 - c.2013

The Women’s Press LTD is a publishing firm established in 1978 and dedicated to publishing books for women by women, feminist fiction and non-fiction by women writers from around the globe. Publishing included literary and crime fiction, biography and autobiography, health, race and disability, women’s studies and cultural, sexual and political history. The publishers appear to have dissolved c.2013.

GB1534 LP1 · Corporate body · 1984-1990

The Lesbians and Policing Project (Lespop) was a project developed from the Gay London Police Monitoring Group (GALOP) in 1985 in order to support lesbians in relation to the abuse faced from the police. Based in London they offered workshops and phone-line services often focusing on how race and disability intersected with sexuality to influence treatment of lesbians by the police. Their advice focussed on how to deal with police raids, tactics for demonstrations, legal advice, and information on Section 28. Lespop also sought to research treatment of Lesbians by the police by working with lesbians in London.

GB 1534 SWC1 · Corporate body · 1984-?

The Southwark Women’s Centre was founded in 1984 with the intention of providing support to women residing in the London Borough of Southwark. It was a charity committed to improving the lives of women in the area, including those suffering from poverty or in need of educational or professional advice. The Women’s Centre was also a hub for multicultural gatherings, including Chinese, Black and Indian groups, where they would be able to connect with others and celebrate their native culture, an aspect further reflected in the management of the charity, which included a number of black and Asian staff.

Support groups were also created for lesbians, both young and old, as well as additional attention being given to lesbian mothers, creating a safe space for them to discuss their problems, relax at recreational events, and receive advice on all aspects of life.

Southall Black Sisters
Corporate body · 1979-

Southall Black Sisters (SBS), a not-for-profit, secular and inclusive organisation, was established in 1979 to meet the needs of Black (Asian and African-Caribbean) women. Their aims are to highlight and challenge all forms gender-related violence against women, empower them to gain more control over their lives; live without fear of violence and assert their human rights to justice, equality and freedom.

For over three decades SBS have been at the forefront of challenging domestic and gender-related violence locally and nationally, and have campaigned for the provision of proper and accountable support services to enable women and their children to escape violent relationships and live in dignity. They run an advice, advocacy and resource centre in West London which provides a comprehensive service to women experiencing violence and abuse and other forms of inequality. SBS offers specialist advice, information, casework, advocacy, counselling and self-help support services in several community languages, especially South Asian languages.

SA1 · Corporate body · 1972 - 1981

Sappho was a lesbian, volunteer-run magazine that ran from 1972 to 1981. As well as publishing information on lesbian groups and organisations, the women behind Sappho campaigned for fair treatment of lesbians in all aspects of society, including the army and prison system. They organised lesbian exhibitions and conferences, supported others, and were used as a network of communication for lesbian women around the world. They also provided a creative outlet for lesbians, publishing poems, creative writing and photography, similar to the Spinster publication (which ran from 1979 to 1983, and whose papers are included in this collection).

Sappho Magazine, 1972 - 1981
SM1 · Corporate body · 1972 - 1981

Sappho was a magazine aimed at lesbian and bisexual women that ran on voluntary contributions from both its publishers and its readership. The first issue published in April 1972 and aimed to act as a forum for lesbian and bisexual women in the UK and beyond, providing information on groups, events and resources happening as far as Australia, the US and Canada by the final issue. It encouraged lesbian and bisexual women to form local groups and produce their own newsletters, which ultimately led to a decrease in Sappho’s circulation and decline in funds. The last issue was published in 1981.

Corporate body · 1985-2016

Project for Advice, Counselling and Education (PACE) was a London-based charity promoting the health and wellbeing of LGBT people, through the provision of free or low-cost counselling, therapy, groupwork, advocacy, youthwork, employment and other services. Established in 1985, PACE became a vital support network for many living in London and beyond - particularly in the context of Section 28, the homophobic law prohibiting the 'promotion of homosexuality'. PACE dissembled in 2016.

Corporate body · c.1989-c.1995

ONYX was a social and discussion group for Black lesbians and lesbians of colour. By its own definition, it encompassed '[a]ll lesbians descended (through one or both parents) from Africa, Asia (i.e. the Middle East to China, including the Pacific Nations) and Latin America, and lesbians descended from the original inhabitants of Australasia, North America and the islands of the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean'. The group met once or twice monthly, first at London Friend at 86 Caledonian Road (c.1989-1991) and later at Camden Lesbian Centre & Black Lesbian Group at 54-56 Phoenix Road (from 1991 onwards); discussion and publicity were led by volunteers.