The day of ES Magazine’s Pride photoshoot was a special one. With 20-plus people being photographed over the course of the day, there were a number of logistical concerns. Luckily, as often happens with the queer community, anxiety soon turned to joy. The day that unfolded bloomed into a social mixer, where old friendships reignited and new ones began.
Really, it was inevitable, since everyone involved had been brought together for the same reason: LGBTQ+ Londoners who give back to their community but aren’t necessarily applauded for it. Unsung heroes, who hustle behind the scenes in order to somehow improve the lives of others, no matter how big or small their impact. In London especially, we’re incredibly fortunate that queer heroes can be found in every pocket of the city. Whether a bouncer, hairdresser, sports team, activist, or simply your primary school English teacher, we can all name people who have quietly helped us, or others, on personal journeys. And though we’d love to list them in their thousands, let’s start with the following ten…
Vogue Rites
The five members of Vogue Rites pictured above introduce themselves as: Legendary European Father Kartel West, Legendary Diva Mugler, Sereyah Balenciaga, Zah Garcon and Japan West. ‘The main aim of Vogue Rites was to establish and offer a regular safe and supportive space for the London ballroom scene, particularly queer, trans, people of colour from our community,’ says The Legendary Kartel West, who founded Vogue Rites in 2018 alongside ballroom sibling Bronze West. ‘We started before ballroom had become such a worldwide phenomenon thanks to shows such as Pose and HBO’s Legendary. Vogue Rites is a home that’s open to all but always prioritises those that ballroom was intended for.’ Since starting out in a bar in Shoreditch, they’re now readying themselves for their annual, major Somerset House takeover in August, which has grown into one of the biggest balls in Europe. See you there.
Oscar Davies
Oscar Davies became the UK’s first publicly recognised non-binary barrister ‘by accident!’ They explain: ‘I got my name painted on the chambers’ board, I chose “Mx Oscar Davies” and tweeted wondering if anyone else had done so. The tweet went viral and The Times, Legal Cheek and Reuters featured it as a legal first.’ Davies specialises in trans and non-binary law and frequently provides pro bono support to their community — work for which they received the Legal 500 ESG Award for LGBTQ+ Champion of the Year last month. ‘I was an androgynous kid who often got mistaken for a girl, sometimes even by my own grandma! When I was six years old, I was cast as Elizabeth I in the school play. Fast forward two decades and I am now battling it out in a different type of performance, in court, trying to get the best result for my clients who have faced discrimination.’
Roman Manfredi
At 16, Roman Manfredi was handed a local newspaper by their mother and told to go and get a job. ‘I looked for the most creative job I could find, a darkroom assistant for a photography studio. Photography seemed like an accessible medium for working-class kids at that time,’ says Manfredi. A few years later they would sell that same camera to pay for a flight to San Francisco, where they swapped photography for ‘a career in lesbianism’. Last year, they got behind the lens once again, bringing us the ground- breaking exhibition ‘We/Us’, which showed in south London. ‘I wanted to take these two under-represented groups, butches and studs, and start some conversations around female masculinity within a context of class and race in the UK.’ If Manfredi wasn’t a photographer, what would they be doing? ‘Lying in a coffin. Photography has given me a future and a purpose. I really can’t imagine anything else at this point in time, nor do I want to.’
Tatenda Shamiso
Last year, Tatenda Shamiso took the world of theatre by storm with his play No ID, which centred around his personal experiences living as a Black transgender immigrant in the UK, and went on to win him the Evening Standard Theatre Award for Emerging Talent. ‘It marked a massive shift in my own belief in myself and opened so many new pathways for my career,’ he says. Now, as well as working as associate director on the West End’s For Black Boys..., he’s recently begun working on a TV adaptation of No ID. He’s also keen to spotlight a few other unsung LGBTQ+ heroes working within the world of theatre: ‘Tristan Fynn-Aiduenu, whose imagination and tenacity takes my breath away. Rikki Beadle-Blair, for his own work and for the mentorship he provides to young queer artists. Lighting designer Simisola Majekodunmi, sound designer Xana. And what’s a list of queer theatre heroes without non-binary royalty Travis Alabanza?’
Wet
When friends Rabz and Mo first met two years ago, a conversation about the lack of lesbian spaces centring BPOC community in the capital soon snowballed into them creating a solution: the steamiest new south London club night, Wet. ‘Most of the [lesbian nights] that did exist had terrible music. We didn’t really feel like they reflected us or our community.’ Since their first event last January, Wet has only grown in popularity and tickets sell out with every new announcement. For people who have never been, you can expect ‘to be on the dancefloor pretty much the whole night, with high quality DJ sets from some of the best dyke-adjacent DJs/producers around. The genre of music varies but generally includes mostly club music with roots in Black and Brown communities — ie, not pop or commercial music, and not whitewashed techno.’ And for the crowd? ‘Warm, friendly and, honestly, in a completely unbiased way, extremely hot!’
Stav B
Legend has it that when Stav B arrives at an event, you know it’s the place to be. In fact, if you’ve been to any relatively underground LGBTQ+ party in town, it’s likely that you have either met, heard or spotted her — a true icon of east London’s queer scene. On set, she takes selfies with everyone involved. She demands the crew get together for a group shot, and hangs around for most of the day, chatting to everyone who comes in and out. Her personality fills the room with energy, but what does being a community icon mean to her? ‘Being present and active in my scene, constantly creating, turning up, supporting, looking after my fellow queers and fighting the fight for a better world,’ she says. As well as being a London lesbian figurehead, Stav is a performance artist, PhD candidate and co-organiser of Dyke March London — ‘We deserve a dyke march, we need a dyke march and we are going to get a dyke march, this June and every year from now on.’
Out to Swim
‘Out to Swim was started in the 1990s when straight clubs did not want to compete in the same water as us because they feared contracting HIV. Our existence has always been political,’ says Stephen Lue, a member of water polo team London Orca, of his 18 years with the group. Founded in 1992, Out to Swim is an LGBTQ+ aquatics club that has become so popular that it now spans across the country, with branches in London, Brighton and Bristol. From water polo to several artistic swimming groups, Out to Swim competes around the world — and wins too. ‘We provide a network from which people can find jobs, places to live, discuss discrimination or challenges in our relationships. We support the well-being and mental health of our members. When we have lost members, the club pulls together and we have paid for their burial and looked after their families.’ Whether in or out of the water, this swimming group gives ‘team’ a far deeper meaning.
Munya
Naomi, Kate, Linda, Giselle, and now? Munya. Born in Zimbabwe but raised in Hull, the now London-based model is the fashion industry’s newest face on the cusp of stardom. Munya began modelling for friends’ projects while at university in Birmingham. ‘I knew I liked the confidence it sparked in me. As a result, a lot of creatives in Birmingham and London started reaching out for me to do more shoots with them.’ Since then, Munya has been featured in countless editorials and on the cover of Gay Times and Mission Statement Magazine. ‘My big dream is to inspire something in all the creatives from my backgrounds and communities. I aspire for them to be able to see a glimpse of someone like them, who has endured hardships but continues to rise and reclaim space,’ she says.
June Lam
June Lam co-founded grassroots healthcare fund We Exist in 2020, ‘against a backdrop of increasing anti-trans legislation in the UK and significant cuts to trans healthcare funding by the UK government,’ he says. Since starting the fund alongside Jo Alloway and Sophie Gwen Williams four years ago, We Exist has grown into a collective and community that hosts regular performances, events and exhibitions, too. But that’s not all that Lam is up to. A year after starting the healthcare fund, he founded popular LGBTQ+ nightlife spot, GGI. ‘As someone involved in the London nightlife scene in various capacities, I had felt the absence of a community space where queer and trans ESEA folks felt centred and welcomed, and could also see ourselves represented on the line-ups — so I decided to start one!’ Having worked on a major takeover of Tate Britain earlier this year, Lam now has his sights set on 2025, when he’ll be launching an events programme and exhibition centring trans spirituality.
2CPERREA
When Josefa and Tedesco of 2CPERREA stepped on set of our ES Magazine photoshoot, they brought with them a change in tempo. Techno music was quickly replaced by blaring beats of Isabella Lovestory’s perreo-pop, a fitting choice as the founders of London’s hottest queer Latinx collective. ‘We started 2CPERREA around two years ago to address the absence of inclusive and queer safe spaces that existed in London to enjoy Latin music, particularly perreo,’ says Josefa. ‘As natives of the region, we aimed to create a space where everyone could embrace and appreciate this music without judgement. We wanted to show the girls how much fun this music can be.’ Their highlight of the past 24 months? ‘Seeing over 700 people dancing their asses off to reggaeton, in London, in an inclusive space. It was such a surreal moment for all of us.’
