That's my mother @sylviadpearl.bsky.social (in the Immigrantes Bienvenidos Aqui t-shirt): she turned 90 last Wednesday. Go mom!

SSS 2026 begins

Mundane Queer History commences! (and continues...)

Immigration make Britain brilliant

An ACT UP hero. Iris Long, Scientific Mentor to AIDS Activists, Dies at 92 www.nytimes.com/2026/04/17/h...

Bella Abzug If you know who she is - or don't know who she is: watch it and learn. Eye opening. www.pbs.org/wnet/america...

🎉 New York: A Literary Anthology will be out May 7th. I love that it let me highlight NYC’s radical past in the selections included & the short bios I wrote for it. To celebrate its launch, I’ll be in conversation with @mbpearl.bsky.social on Fri, 12 June 6:30-8 pm @blackwellsmcr.bsky.social.

First time in Coimbra (Portugal): the university (founded 1290) has a prison - for students!

Love when @annkpowers.bsky.social shows up as a talking head. Watching www.pbs.org/video/dory-p...

@chrislhayes.bsky.social honors “legend of liberal politics” Ronnie Eldridge, who died at 95.

Tomorrow! 📢 bonus post-show 'In Conversation' event with @mbpearl.bsky.social and EACW alumnus Gabriel Clark, star of David Drake’s The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me - an urgent conversation on activism and art:

Tomorrow!

Really looking forward to this. On February 10th, Opening Night, I will be in conversation with Gabriel Clark who will be performing in David Drake's The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me at Hope Mill Theatre in Manchester.

Come hear my Introduction to Peter Hujar's Day on January 8th at HOME in Manchester.

The Manchester launch of The Emotions of LGBT Rights and Reforms: Repairing Law (Edinburgh UP) by the wonderful @senthorun.bsky.social.

Amsterdam

World AIDS Day vigil. Sackville Gardens. Manchester. I remember.

If you are in Nijmegen, Netherlands, in December - or can get there! www.ru.nl/en/about-us/...

It begins. Year 19 (!) of cutting edge international queer art. Outburst Queer Arts Festival

Presented by @georgehousetrust.bsky.social

"Treat the community like gold." Wisdom from Sarah Schulman @sarahschulman.bsky.social

Grateful for the inspired and inspiring talks that @libankerdc.bsky.social @posypoet.bsky.social @mbpearl.bsky.social gave at today’s “Resistance in the Age of Trump 2.0” roundtable today & for the great student turnout!

Remarkably unincendiary Daily Mirror article about Trans life - in 1937. Unearthed by @elierlick.bsky.social.

The late great Urvashi Vaid.

Still on at Manchester Central Library. @georgehousetrust.bsky.social

NYC propaganda in Denmark. Attire worn by @dazzler25.bsky.social. Global support for @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social.

Just finished reading this good gay novel by South African author @wisaniirvin.bsky.social. Plenty of copies at @thebooklounge.bsky.social

Queer Pasts conference Copenhagen opening keynote. Archives of Dissent: Sexuality, Caste, History @anjaliarondekar.bsky.social

Queer Pasts at the University of Copenhagen and Roskilde University.

As part of the Homotopia takeover of Museum of Liverpool and the Holly Johnson exhibition (Sat 5th April), @mbpearl.bsky.social and myself will be talking "Don't Relax! Culture, Protest, and Music during the AIDS Crisis" event info here: www.homotopia.net/events/homot...

This Saturday, April 5th "Don't Relax! Culture, Protest, and Music during the AIDS Crisis" with @garyneedham.bsky.social at Museum of Liverpool organized by Homotopia.

Tomorrow!

Whether you're one who marches or one who brings water to marchers or one who helps arrested marchers in court or one who helps fund the march or one who writes about the march or one who contacts leaders and/or media about why the march, you're needed, you're part of us.

In which I expound on the power of activism - and art (and queer friendship!). Along with @dombilton.bsky.social.

Looking forward to my discussion with @jvmartin92.bsky.social and Jackie Stacey about these two films by @pratibha.bsky.social. At #HOMEmcr in conjunction with Women in Revolt! exhibition at Whitworth Art Gallery. March 12th.

On this day in 1988, 20,000 LGBTQ people and our allies marched through the streets of Manchester to protest Section 28, which tried to stifle all mention of our lives. At the time it was the largest gay rights gathering ever. Pic: The crowd seen from the top of the Town Hall. #LGBT+HistoryMonth

ACT UP hero: Gerri Wells, ¡presente!

My Norwegian debut: my comments (in English!) on The Inheritance now on at National Theater of Norway. See the website for the whole video. www.nationaltheatret.no/forestilling...

God, this was so good. The Ernaux book - yes. The play - utterly yes.

so beautifully captures it Children of the 1960s watch in pain as the story of our lifetime is erased www.inquirer.com/opinion/comm...

The roundtable on James Baldwin’s Giovanni’s Room with Nawal Mustafa and @mbpearl.bsky.social at ITA went wonderful. Thanks to the speakers, ASCA, NICA, and ITA.

James Baldwin Giovanni's Room - Today

Come join us on 23 January, 17:00 hours. Roundtable at Radical Space on James Baldwin's Giovanni's Room and identity with Nawal Mustafa and Monica Pearl @mbpearl.bsky.social, moderated by me, organized by ITA, ASCA, and NICA. Registration via this link. @uvahumanities.bsky.social

Two more weeks to catch the Barbara Walker exhibition at the Whitworth Art Gallery in Manchester. Don't miss it.

Discussing Giovanni's Room in Amsterdam - can't wait.

Coming late to this beautiful 2021 AIDS dance documentary: Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane company's "D-Man in the Waters." Gorgeous and moving.

Nervous and thrilled that this podcast is out. Such a great conversation with Mary Higgins and Ell Potter of hotterproject.co.uk. Listen here - or wherever you get your podcasts. Queer Friendship on Life of Bi. (See my post below for how much I already liked and admired this show.)

Essay on my experience as a member of ACT UP/NY back in the day - in Radical History Review. If you can't get past the academic paywall, dm me for a pdf.