13 November 2023
On Monday 13 November we launched the ‘Section 28 and its afterlives’ exhibition in the Forum at the University of Exeter. 20 years on from its repeal, this exhibition told, for the first time, the story of Section 28 in Exeter and the South West. Drawing on oral history interviews, it puts the spotlight on local LGBTQ+ history, giving audiences insight into the profound and long-lasting impacts of Section 28 on LGBTQ+ people in the South West.
We very much hope the ‘Section 28 and its afterlives’ will itself have numerous afterlives. If you would are an organisation or events space in the South West and would like to borrow the exhibition please do get in touch at section28anditsafterlives@exeter.ac.uk.
The exhibition launch was followed by a panel discussion on what Section 28 meant for those who lived through it – and why understanding this history has never been more important or more urgent. As well as looking back, this panel used the anniversary of the repeal of Section 28 to ask whether this history is truly past, and to reflect on the troubling legacies and parallels we can see today in attacks on hard-won LGBTQ+ rights, in this country and beyond.
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