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“Pick any building in London from any time, and there will be odd people in its history,” says Mark T. Cox, as we gather in a small group at the Clermont Hotel in Charing Cross, which There is a meeting point for this. Queer History Walking Tour. “Leave the pin anywhere in London and you can do this tour: Vauxhall, Earl’s Court, Dalston.”
The area Mark has chosen to take us through 2000 years of strange history is central London: the West End, taking us from Charing Cross to Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus to Chinatown and Soho. It’s a pay-what-you-can system that makes tours and this fascinating history accessible to everyone.
Mark has mastered the city’s strange landscape. A former organist at his small local church in County Clare, Mark transferred his talents to Dublin at the age of 17 to pursue a career in cabaret. GeorgeIreland’s oldest strange place.
About 10 years ago, he moved to London and has since become a household name in many London attractions. Performing as a pianist, entertainer, storyteller and comedian (often in a very handsome Big Dickie Bow), he has worked regularly at venues such as The Glory, Dalston Superstorethe Cellar door And London Irish Centre – where he radiates a warm, pleasant and nurturing presence to the crowd. Nights with Mark is full of piano sing-alongs, whimsical hymns and incredibly original stories.
Merging his passion and strange knowledge in the daytime city was something he had wanted to do for some time. “My background is in architecture and I wanted to run this tour before the pandemic, but I’ve been doing it for two or three years now,” he tells me. “I love doing it – I do other tours like Big Ben, but this one feels more meaningful.”
Strange History in London
Since its founding with the arrival of the Romans nearly 2,000 years ago, strange relationships have been part of London’s record. At that time, two men in partnership would not be unusual or remarkable, Mark explains. And since that era, the history of the LGBTIQ community has taken shape in the buildings and places we stop by today.
The infamous Buggery Act came into law in 1533, condemning strange relationships by force of law – a concept that originated in London before being widely exported throughout the world by colonists. should be done Figures who passed through the buildings on our tour – including Oscar Wilde – were later jailed for rumors or suspicions about their sexuality. Every topic and reality we cover is approached with an all-encompassing air of compassion and kindness from Mark, drawing on his lived experience and interspersed with sharp, gentle humor.
We pass through Trafalgar Square. Today, it’s full of other events – but every June, we see Pride set up its main stage here. “It’s a place where people will come and listen to someone. The X Factor“Marc Latifah. Yet Pride has historically been a balance of party and protest. “This year, we’ll see the protest element come back with everything — we’re in a good place right now with trans issues and rights. Are not. But there is a lot of talk about it, why is it still proud? Only 50 years have passed – compared to 2,000 executions and criminal proceedings.
We pass the grand buildings of Piccadilly Circus. It used to be a quaint center, a run-down neighborhood that would change in the 1850s. “The great thing about this city is that you take a turn and you’re in a completely different area,” says Mark. And with that, we enter Chinatown, which used to be another strange place, home to huge underground parties. This was where 24-hour teahouses would create unofficial queer spaces where patrons wouldn’t be bothered.
This was a way of accessing the ‘pink pound’. In the 1800s, men had much more disposable income. Working for the nearby government and palaces, they could afford these things. The staff will usher out straight people and create fewer safe spaces for questioners. But London has an extensive history for queer men, while women are much missed,” says Mark.
Although men usually had more income, women were not allowed to go to many places. “Historically, the vast majority of things were odd men fulfilling themselves. We still have some inequality today.”
Finding spaces for community
It was in these places that we saw minority groups coming together. The Sham Sham Club on Wardour St. was a popular place in the 1930s, where the queer and black community came to listen to jazz. “They will start supporting each other. The police will come and molest people and then arrest them.
Today we head to Soho, one of the city’s weirdest districts, where the streets are lined with flags and sex shops. “In 1990, Village opened – and it changed everything. It was on the ground floor and had windows. Clean the glass windows. For the first time, you can walk and see strange people like you would in a coffee shop or restaurant. This made Soho a more openly queer place. Before descending into Soho Square, we walk down Dean St, discussing progress and stagnant points around sexual health and stigma. Mark’s expression becomes more solemn as we gather to say goodbye to each other as the tour ends.
“I would love to be able to end this tour with more happiness. We have this great history. I should say that we are just purely developing. It’s the opposite,” says Mark. “We’re going downhill and it’s very disturbing. In the last six months, things have taken a turn for the worse on trans issues. There’s been terrible hate and attacks, including here in Soho, through the media.”
In July, for the first time Trans+ Pride will take center stage at Trafalgar Square. “There was a lot of energy and focus on gay rights. Trans rights need to do the same. Pride is important this year. We need to keep fighting for equal rights for all diverse people. Don’t just depend on the queer community.
How to book
Public tours with Mark T. Cox are organized by London with a local, which offers a selection of guides that rotate from week to week. You can see more of Mark’s upcoming tour dates here. Book a place through its website.