CULTURE EDITION
W hen Dr Cambridge in 2017, fresh from the rainbow-saturated landscapes of Brighton and Hove, he noticed a rather stark contrast in the lack of queer spaces. Realising that this can’t have always been the case, he embarked on a mission to trace the city’s historic bars, clubs and meeting places for LGBTQ+ people, Diarmuid Hester came to Catherine Street, The Fleur de Lys on Elizabeth Way, The Burleigh Arms on Newmarket Road and the thriving gay club that once existed in The Anchor to name but a few. His efforts culminated in A Great Recorded History – the first audio trail to explore the city’s queer past. This ambitious project in turn provided the genesis of Diarmuid’s unearthing the likes of The Scaramouche on second book Nothing Ever Just Disappears , a work that transports us from Cambridge to San Francisco through an exploration of ‘queer spaces and a queer sense of place’. Radical history Describing himself ‘in no particular order’ as queer, Irish, an academic,
in Cambridge,” he shares, referring to the high walls, locked gates and guards standing watch at college entrances that demarcate the historic city centre. “A compartmentalised person, Forster seemed to draw lines across his life like a map,” observes Diarmuid. “The characters in his books might be dull, stupid or cowardly, but are always products of their environment. To varying degrees, they’re all trapped by the web of prejudices, privileges and expectations we might call society.” While researching Cambridge’s queer past, Diarmuid also encountered Edward Carpenter – one of Forster’s inspirations and a student, then fellow, of Trinity Hall. Carpenter is known for ideas that set him far ahead of his time, best embodied by his 1908 book The Intermediate Sex , where he championed greater acceptance of homosexuals in society. “If, in his later life, Carpenter was rather out and proud, his student days were marked by the same isolation, secrecy and loneliness of many closeted young queer people.” Queer Cambridge Fortunately, Cambridge has come a long way from the restrictive age of
Cultural history can bring about radical change
elements of dislocation, distance, irony and sometimes loss.” Placemaking A prominent figure in Nothing Ever Just Disappears is the novelist EM Forster, who is best known for A Room with a View and Howards End . Another lesser-known work of his is the gay classic Maurice , which was published posthumously. Diarmuid himself is an enormous fan of Forster’s work and his ‘deep compassion for people’. As a closeted gay man living at a time when homosexuality was a crime, Forster had a lifelong relationship with Cambridge, where he first came as a student in 1897, then returned to in 1945 and stayed until his death in 1970. Diarmuid explores the interrelationship of city and sexuality in the book. “I was particularly interested in how Forster attached himself to the strict management of private and public spaces
author, broadcaster and co-founder of Club Urania (Cambridge’s premier performance night for queer people and their friends), Diarmuid’s work focuses on cultural history from the late 1800s to the present day, and what it tells us about gender and sexuality. “I call myself a radical cultural historian because I think cultural history can bring about radical change,” he shares. “By uncovering the marginalised stories of those who have come before and bringing to light the worlds they created, we can see that another way is possible.” Diarmuid’s work probes what it’s like to identify as an outlier in a world mostly created by and for the heterosexual majority. This idea sparked the notion of a queer sense of place. “Being queer in a world in which most grow up in homes where heterosexuality is normalised, and being formed by it, gives you a specifically queer relationship to place. This has
Forster and Carpenter. Although still largely considered a burgeoning queer scene, the city has several established nights, events and venues which are a haven for LGBTQ+ culture; for example The Blue Moon, which Diarmuid calls ‘a bar full of allies’. Aside from Club Urania, those looking for community, creativity and commonality can find it at the likes of Dot Cotton Club’s monthly club night, the Junction’s queer- led performance night Comfort Zone, and Queer Get Down and Raid for students. “There’s no permanent queer space in Cambridge still, but I see these temporary, moving clubs and parties popping up as a testament to the resilience and creativity of queer culture and nightlife.” Nothing Ever Just Disappears is published by Penguin and available in paperback from 6 June 2024. Club Urania is at Cambridge Junction on 8 June. Find out more at junction.co.uk
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