Queer Kernow didn’t set out with the goal of starting a physical object collection, but in 2021 we found ourselves in the possession of an original Gay Liberation Front badge from the 1970s.
The rich history of badges in the LGBTQ+ community documents the activities, campaigns, and transformations of social attitudes that have occurred in the UK over the last 50 years. They are a lasting tribute to the incredible work of queer activists past and present. With that in mind, and with our growing collection of badges in hand, we held a small pop-up exhibition at that year’s Cornwall Pride where people could design their own protest badge.
We also started making our own pronoun badges, because we wanted to signify that Queer Kernow is and always will be inclusive and supportive of Cornwall’s trans and non-binary community. We worked with the local language group ‘Kernow Matters To Us’ to create Cornish language pronoun badges as part of our outreach programme — which are currently available to purchase in our online shop.
At Pride in 2021, we held a display of our badge collection and invited the community to create their own protest badges.
