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Diageo backs LGBTQ+ museum Queer Britain

Johnnie Walker owner Diageo has agreed a two-year partnership with the first national LGBTQ+ museum in the UK, Queer Britain.

Queer Britain John Sturrock
Diageo and Queer Britain will work to capture lost LGBTQ+ contributions to history and culture in the UK (photo credit: John Sturrock)

Marking 50 years of LGBTQ+ Pride in the UK, the partnership will work to capture some of the lost LGBTQ+ contributions to history and culture. It will aim to create space for the community to find meaningful connections from the past and for the future.

Diageo will provide funding to support the set up of the space. Furthermore, the Smirnoff owner will provide resources to support the museum’s archivists to build an archive of stories and artefacts.

The museum was recently opened in Granary Square, King’s Cross, London, designed to encourage interaction, education, celebration and connection.

Conor Brown, chairman of Diageo’s Rainbow Network Group, said: “As part of Diageo’s ongoing commitment to creating a fairer, more inclusive society, we’re honoured to support an archive that strives to reinforce that all-important sense of belonging and connection for the community.”

As part of its commitment to building on Queer Britain’s archive, Diageo has teamed up with filmmaker Mark Bleziri to expand its intersectionality and bolster the legacy of LGBTQ+ history, while celebrating the community’s far-reaching, and often forgotten, contributions to UK life and culture.

Bleziri will turn five ‘iconic’ LGBTQ+ moments into mini documentaries to educate and inspire, and to honour the Pride movement’s 50th anniversary.

Joseph Galliano, co-founder and chief executive officer of Queer Britain, said: “There are so many aspects of Queer history that have been lost or misconstrued along the way, so a huge part of our mission is to rectify this and to preserve it for future generations.

“Our archives allow us to bring LGBTQ+ icons, trailblazers and artefacts out of the margins and onto centre stage, and our collaboration with Diageo will allow us to take this important work one step further, ensuring that inclusivity and intersectionality are consistently at the forefront of everything we do.”

Last year, The Spirits Business looked at how bars can create safe spaces for the LGBTQ+ community, including both patrons and staff.

Furthermore, we explored how gentrification has impacted LGBTQ+ establishments and what is being done to protect these venues.

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