DIVA editor-in-chief Roxy Bourdillon dives into 50 years of sapphic history in a special documentary for Virgin Radio Pride
IMAGE BY KELVIN LEE GRAY
In a new documentary for Virgin Radio Pride, our very own editor-in-chief Roxy Bourdillon deep dives into 50 extraordinary years of sapphic nightlife history and discovers how in 2024, it’s making the ultimate comeback.
In this fascinating one-hour show produced by the brilliant Alfie Butler, Roxy meets the queer innovators shaping the scene right now, and the trailblazing lesbians who paved the way so that we could party.
The juicy documentary covers everything from tales of raunchy nights out to insightful discussions about identity, inclusivity and how the scene has evolved over the past five decades.
Here are some of the gamechangers featured in the show.
- Trudy Howson, LGBT Poet Laureate, discussing her adventures at legendary lesbian bar The Gateways, which ran 1940s-1985
- DJ Ritu MBE, co-founder of Club Kali, pioneering event for South Asian LGBTQIA people, launched in 1995 and still going strong
- Jo Webber, star of Channel 5 show Candy Bar Girls, talking about London’s iconic Candy Bar, which ran 1996-2014
- Steph Little, area operations manager at Vanilla, aka “the lesbian mecca of the north”, serving sapphics since 1998
- Tabs Benjamin, founder of Butch Please, legendary night celebrating butches, launched in 2015 and still hugely successful today
- Xandice Armah and Scarlett Langdon, co-founders of Gal Pals, the wildly popular night that’s been going for almost a decade
- Becca Homer from Strapped, an awesome and inclusive new dyke night for FLINTA people, launched this year
- Nat Funni, a drag performer who alongside Emma runs Meringue, a joyful new inclusive, fat, queer dance party centring and celebrating plus size people
- Alex Loveless, founder of La Camionera, the brand new permanent lesbian bar in Hackney that’s got everyone excited
Who said the lesbian bar is over? This sapphic party is only just getting started…
Tune in at 6pm on Thursday 18 July to listen to the show. Virgin Radio Pride UK will be broadcast from 1 June to 31 August 2024. Ask your smart speaker to “play Virgin Radio Pride”. Go online, on virginradiopride.co.uk, on the free Virgin Radio app or on DAB Digital Radio in Greater London and Scotland.
DIVA magazine celebrates 30 years in print in 2024. If you like what we do, then get behind LGBTQIA media and keep us going for another generation. Your support is invaluable.
