Want to learn more about queer disability history?

DIVA spoke with researcher and archivist Daisy Holder ahead of this year’s The Coast Is Queer literary festival

BY NIC CROSARA

Daisy Holder (she/they) is a writer, researcher, archivist and the author of Queer Disability Through History. If you love learning all about intersectional queer history, you definitely don’t want to miss out on the chance to hear Daisy speak at this year’s The Coast Is Queer festival.

For those not in the know, The Coast Is Queer is an LGBTQIA+ literary festival that takes place annually in Brighton & Hove. If you love queer books, you definitely don’t want to miss it. Daisy will be joining Jamie Hale, Tom Ryalls and Julie McNamara for the Queer Disability History panel on 17 October at 3:30pm.

Getting the chance to speak with Daisy ahead of the festival, we asked her questions on all things literature and queerstory.

DIVA: How does it feel to be part of the programme for this year’s The Coast Is Queer?

Daisy: It’s so exciting, and it still feels like a mistake! I can’t wait to be around so many awesome people feeling like an imposter.

I’d love to know what you think everyday people from marginalised backgrounds can do to make sure our stories do not continue to be erased? 

The biggest thing is to document what you’re doing, what you’re experiencing and when it’s happening. Please write the date for the sake of all future historians!

So much of my archives work has been working out of cupboards, trying to find the context of things left behind because it never occurred to people that the things they were doing would be considered relevant or interesting. At the time it was just a protest about a specific issue, but it spiralled into a much bigger part of a collective movement.

I don’t necessarily want to tell people to keep everything because I know we all only have so much space in our lives for more stuff, but photos, scrapbooks – even social media – can be a personal archive. It can be all too easy to lose chunks of our memories, as anyone who’s old enough to have had a Bebo account can tell you.

Can you tell us about a queer disabled person from history who inspires you? 

My main inspirations are from the people who turn up and punch through the perception and assumption that people have of disability and queerness. The wonderful Connie Panzarino is well beloved by me for that reason, and her famous protest sign “trached dykes eat pussy without coming up for air”.

What are some books by LGBTQIA+ and/or disabled authors that you’d recommend to our readers? 

Keah Brown is fab. I’ve been really enjoying her poetry, but I’m ashamed by how long it took me to get round to reading The Pretty One, her collection of essays. Don’t make my mistake!

Any final words to the DIVA audience?

There’s a significant crossover between the disabled community and the queer community. There always has been. It’s so important that we support each other when it really matters, and be good friends to each other. Make sure your events are accessible, consider non-heteronormative relationships in social care settings, think about how gender affirming care can affect existing impairments or illnesses. No one expects everyone to know everything, but being aware is the next best thing.

The Coast Is Queer is returning to Brighton & Hove this autumn (15-18 October), and you can view the full programme at coastisqueer.com/whats-on/