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BY IBBY-ROSE MCKIM, IMAGE BY JUAN MOYANO
With LGBTQIA+ rights increasingly under attack from the far right, it’s more important than ever to know about the history of your community.
And the best way to find the history of your community is to immerse yourself in it. One way to do that is to focus on lesser-known queer history. Spread across archives, books, podcasts, and documentaries, these resources spotlight queer people from recent history and the ephemera they created. Exploring not only the stories of queer people but also their creations is the perfect way to educate yourself and your community.
Queering The Map
Acting as a platform for archiving queer and trans experiences across the world, Queering The Map has amassed some550 posts on Instagram. The concept is straightforward: users submit an anonymous piece of text detailing their experience and a map pin for the place their experience centres on. This is transformed into a gorgeous pink and blue map graphic with the text and place visible. Sharing stories of coming out, hook-ups, euphoria, and tragedy, Queering The Map showcases the global LGBTQIA+ community and its resilience. The following is from Calabar, Nigeria.
Trans & Intersex History Africa (TIHA)
A digital archive of trans, gender diverse, and intersex movements from across Africa, TIHA seeks to ensure that these movements are recorded. TIHA contains archival collections, memories, reflections, and facts and is organised by Julius Kaggwa (Uganda), Victor Mukasa (Uganda), and Liesl Theron (South Africa). Explore how the Phoenix Society, an underground network, was formed in 1982 during the Apartheid in South Africa and check out the issues of the magazine, FanFare, that they produced.
Desi Queers
Coauthored by Churnjeet Mahn, Rohit K. Dasgupta, and DJ Ritu, Desi Queers explores queer South Asian communities in Britain spanning from the 1970s to today. In particular, the book describes how desi queers were key to direct action against homophobia in the 1980s. The spaces created by these desi queers have been hugely important to other queer South Asians seeking a space to belong.
Making Gay History
Hosted by journalist Eric Marcus, Making Gay History shares archival interviews which were originally recorded for Marcus’ book, Making History, back in 1992. For the book, he interviewed over 100 people on what was then known as the gay and lesbian civil rights movement. Now, he’s sharing these stories. Since then, the podcast has also createddocumentary series such as Coming of Age During the AIDS Crisis.
Rebel Dykes
Not to be defined by a single categorisation, Rebel Dykes spans film, art, and an archive. Their eponymous documentary, Rebel Dykes, premiered in 2021 and told the story of a community making art, music, and film while navigating nightlife, sex, and activism. The film, available via the BFI player, is a combination of animation, archival footage, and interviews.
Rebel Dykes’ archive is now held at Bishopsgate Institute (a great resource for queer archives generally). Elsewhere on the Rebel Dykes website, their digital archive spans zines, posters from queer nightlife, and intimate photographs. They even started an international day to celebrate dyke culture – this year held on 29 January 2026.
Looking to learn more? Check out our article on everything you need to know about Rebel Dykes.
Asase Ba
With five series worth of episodes, Asase Ba has plenty of stories to follow. Hosted by Ghanaian-Canadian Michelle, the show spotlights the untold stories of Ghanaians and consistently produces queer content. One episode describes how non-binary identities intersect with Ghanaian traditional religions, while another discusses queer visibility and heteronormativity. Seeking to honour oral tradition, the show frequently hosts guests to discuss their real-life lived experience.
Love media made by and for LGBTQIA+ women and gender diverse people? Then you’ll love DIVA. We’ve been spotlighting the community for over 30 years. Here’s how you can get behind queer media and keep us going for another generation: linkin.bio/ig-divamagazine
Did you know that DIVA has now become a charity? Our magazine is published by the DIVA Charitable Trust. You can find out more about the organisation and how you can offer your support here: divacharitabletrust.com
