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34 audio files and 34 document files
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Administrative history
The Gay Christian Movement was founded in April 1976 at a public meeting at the Sir John Cass School in the City of London, and later changed its name to the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement, in 1987.
The Movement was based initially in the tower of St Botolph's Church, Aldgate, where the City of London meets the East End. However in 1989, after a legal challenge by the Archdeacon of London, the Church Council was compelled to evict LGCM, and Oxford House, a settlement project in Bethnal Green, took us in and provided a home for the next 25 years. In 2015 the trustees took the decision to move out of London, and relocate LGCM to a new home in Nottinghamshire.
14th February 2017 marked a very significant shift in the identity of two organisations that have campaigned for LGBTI+ liberation and integration in churches in England for over forty years. LGCM and Changing Attitude England become OneBodyOneFaith, united to campaign together for change.
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Archival/Digitisation history
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Description
This series includes the recordings of interviews with pioneering Gay Christian activists, advicates and allies, carried out as part of an heritage project called 'Christian Voices Coming Out'. The project marked the 40th anniversary since the foundation of the Gay Christan Movement in 1976, now called OneBodyOneFaith.
Between 1976 and 2016, these individuals worked for the acceptance, affirmation and welcome of gay and lesbian people, have challenged the churches when they have diminished and dismissed their lives, loves and identities, and borne witness to a Christian faith build on principles of justice, compassion and love.
Volunteers have been working to record interviews with people from across the UK, from different church backgrounds, each with a unique story to tell. Some will be well known as leaders and activists, others have worked tirelessly in communities, often unrecognised until now.
Alongside their stories is the story of the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement, founded in 1976, told thorough its archive material, currently part of the Hall Carpenter Collection at the London School of Economics. The catalogue is available online.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
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Access information
Open unless otherwise stated
Copyright and licencing
As of June 2023, all material in this collection is still In Copyright. If you wish to re-use any of the content in this collection, please make sure you use it in a legally and ethically responsible way. Further guidance in reusing copyrighted materials is available in our Terms and Conditions page.