Gay liberation graffiti dating back to the 1970s has been discovered in the basement of the radical Housmans Bookshop in King’s Cross. It survives from the basement’s previous use as an office for the Gay Liberation Front.
During recent building works, a layer of plaster was stripped from the basement wall, revealing heartfelt messages from former activists. These included: “Homosexuals Unite”, “Run your own Life” and “Gay is good so don’t be scared to tell anybody”.
“It’s amazing how the graffiti has survived”, said Nik Górecki, who works at the bookshop.
The graffiti has been photographed and will feature in a forthcoming book about the history of Housmans next year. “The timing is perfect”, Nik says, “we are currently engaged in a wide-ranging history of the building, which is unearthing all kinds of stories, memories and ephemera.”
Housmans Bookshop has been home to radical, nonviolent causes since 1945, with roots tracing back to the British pacifist movement in the 1930s.
