The Jonathan Cutbill Memorial Presentations

Presentation 1 - ABOUT THE EVENT

Jonathan Cutbill’s life, ‘Gays the Word’, an impressive LGBT+ library goes to London

This first of two Memorial Presentations: Andrew Lumsden, a long-term friend (and , Gay Liberation Front activist), Justin Bengry, a leading cultural historian of sexualities and Maria Castrillo, Head of Special Collections at the University of London, which will be housing Jonathan's library. 

Shrewsbury resident, Jonathan Cutbill, who died in 2019 was a co-founder of Gay’s the Word bookshop, London, who created an extensive LGBTQ+ library in his home. 

Presentation 2 - ABOUT THE EVENT

Saving ‘Gay’s The Word’

The second Memorial Presentation: Graham McKerrow, activist and journalist who launched ‘Capital Gay’ 

In April 1984, Customs officers raided Gay’s The Word and the homes of its staff and directors including Jonathan Cutbill’s and seized thousands of books, many by respected authors claiming they were indecent.

They wanted to stop the importation of all LGBT fiction and non-fiction and brought 100 charges of conspiracy to import indecent material; a major Old Bailey trial was set.

Defend Gay’s The Word campaign fought back. In 1986, shortly before the trial was due to start, Customs dropped all the charges and returned all the books. This is the story of a triumph.