ABOUT BID
Beacons, Icons & Dykons is an ode to gay and queer heritage, community, and cinema. We curate, lead workshops, perform, and organise events to bring together the LGBTQ+ community. We reach out and find hidden histories to share. We host events where films are screened alongside performances, talks and a diverse range of entertainment inspired by the themes and heroes. From Dolly Parton to Diana Ross, John Walters and Kenneth Anger, we’re honouring them all, one by one.
Our main aims are to
• Reduce isolation and exclusion within the LGBTQ+ community.
• Reduce transphobia and homophobia by creating a platform for a sustained dialogue, visibility and
presence for Bristol’s LGBTQ+ community.
• Tackle the stigma attached to mental and other health issues affecting the LGBT community.
• Create cross-generational exchange.
• Challenge heteronormative society.
Beacons, Icons and Dykons believes that through a wider understanding of LGBTQ+ history this community is able to reduce isolation and exclusion bringing about a deeper understanding of our community’s history. We shine a light of forgotten stories in order for us to be a more inclusive and
historically aware society. We believe that history is not the past, but that we are our history.