Artist Martin Firrell marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Gay Liberation Front with new thought-provoking artwork, proudly displayed across Clear Channel UK's digital network of screens.
Tuesday 13th October marks 50 years since the\nfounding of the Gay Liberation Front (GLF) in the UK, a pivotal moment for gay\nrights in British history and arguably the founding moment of the modern\nmovement.
In recognition of this significant anniversary for the LGBTQ+\ncommunity, Clear Channel, have partnered again with internationally renowned French artist Martin Firrell to offer free digital\nbillboard space nationally for three new artworks. The series is based on an\noriginal placard carried by human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell, a former prominent\nmember of the GLF, which expressed LGBT+ rebellion against \"straight\nsupremacism”.
After it was founded at the London School of Economics 1970,\nthe GLF organised the first openly public demonstration by LGBT+ people in the UK and\nthe first Gay Pride March in 1972. The 'Still Revolting'\nartwork series uses a clever\nplay on the epithet that homophobes often uttered: \"Homosexuals are\nrevolting!\" This reflected the attitude that homosexuality was regarded as\ndisgusting. It was reclaimed by LGBT+ activists in the GLF to signify that they\nwere revolting against prejudice and inequality - and they still are in 2020.
Martin Firrell said, “Continuing my partnership with Clear Channel has enabled me\nto create these large-scale works of public art about LGBT+ history. When you acknowledge the history of any minority group\npublicly, you affirm its value. The GLF put LGBT+ rights on the public agenda\nand transformed LGBT+ consciousness, from shame to pride and defiance. Fifty\nyears later this work reiterates the significance of that moment in our\nhistory.”
“As a campaigner for LGBT+ rights for over 50 years, I know\nthe importance of continuing to revolt against homophobia, biphobia and\ntransphobia,” commented Peter Tatchell, Director of the Peter Tatchell Human\nRights Foundation,
“The Gay Liberation Front marked the beginning of the\nmodern LGBT+ rights movement in the UK and its key civil rights demands\ncontinue to be the agenda of today's LGBT+ movement. GLF sparked a struggle\nthat has uplifted the lives of millions of LGBT+ people.”
Clear Channel's Head of Europe, Justin Cochrane, said, “We are proud to support this intelligent re-imagining of\nthe original work as part of our ongoing commitment to support the LGBTQ+\ncommunity. By using Out of\nHome as a public art gallery, we hope these artworks will serve as a catalyst\nto keep diversity and inclusion high on the national agenda.”
The artworks will be displayed across Clear Channel's premium large format\ndigital Storm sites in London, Manchester and Leeds on the 13th, and are expected to\nbe seen by thousands of people creating a public space and raising visual\nawareness for important societal issues.
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