The Dorothy Project

For our last episode of season three, we meet another Friend of Dorothy: fashion lecturer and PR Tony Gill. Tony’s British Asian upbringing gave him a whole different set of gay icons to the ones host Alice grew up with - and the conversation may give you an appetite to work back through decades of Bollywood classics… 

Creator & host: Alice Beverton-Palmer

Producer & editor: Laura Blake

Any history nerd will be excited to hear about Paula Akpan’s research into Black queer women in - and beyond - the British Women’s Lib movement. 

Paula is also currently working on her first book, When We Ruled: The Rise and Fall of Twelve Queens. Billed as “a book that will give voice to the women warriors and regents across the African continent often demoted to a footnote in history”, it will be published in hardback in 2024. 

As well as that research, and her work as a journalist, Paula (yep, she's busy!) is the creator of Black Queer Travel Guide, to help Black queer people travel around the world more safely. 

It’s amazing how much there is in our very recent past that’s at risk of being lost to the wider world without academics like Paula recording it - have a listen.

Creator & host: Alice Beverton-Palmer

Producer & editor: Laura Blake

Today’s interviewee, Rita, has proven the power of nightlife for the queer community better than maybe anyone else I’ve met. 

In the combination of her own life experiences, her career as a psychologist and in LGBTQ domestic abuse services, and with the groundbreaking queer Asian night Club Kali, Rita has created something very special indeed.

That’s an incredible legacy for one club night to have. But it has a dynamic future as well as an important past - and we started there…

Creator & host: Alice Beverton-Palmer

Producer & editor: Laura Blake

This one's a little bit different... In summer 2021 we brought together a panel of debut authors, all female, all writing about queer topics or characters, along with the broadcaster and literary judge Simon Savidge. We talked representation, what's changed, and what's next in queer fiction. Prepare to go away with a long 'to be read' list.

This panel was first published as a LIVE Twitter Spaces conversation, so this is an edited collection of the best bits - with all the boring technical issues edited out!

Dr Fern Riddell is a historian, podcaster, and the author of - among others - the brilliant book Sex: Lessons from History.

If you haven’t read it yet, its fairly revolutionary perspective is that not only have people always been obsessed with sex, but that British people in the past weren’t necessarily as narrow minded about sex, sexuality, and gender as you might think. Which I found a really hopeful message. 

This week’s interviewee made his name as the UK’s answer to Judge Judy, and on Strictly Come Dancing, but there’s much more to him than that. 

From his upbringing in North London (in a future celebrity enclave, not far from Rachel Stevens and Amy Winehouse) to his crowd of adoring female fans, the Rinderettes, Rob Rinder had so much to say. 

A rare male interviewee, we reflected on the relationship between women and queer men and what we can offer each other. 

Creator & host: Alice Beverton-Palmer

Producer & editor: Laura Blake

Meet Lisa-Jayne Lewis. A well-known figure in the queer Christian world, she is on the leadership team of Two:23 and The Gathering Space, both safe spaces for queer people to be themselves within their faith. Lisa-Jayne is also a trustee of OneBodyOneFaith, the oldest LGBT Christian organisation in the UK and formerly known as the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement (LGCM). We talked about her journey through her sexuality and faith, the present and future status of LGBTQ Christians, and the burden upon this group of people as their lives remain up for debate within their faith.

Content warning: this episode includes discussion of conversion therapy, suicide, and child abuse.

Creator & host: Alice Beverton-Palmer

Producer & editor: Laura Blake

The Dorothy Project is BACK. Every Thursday, we’ll be introducing you to another iconic woman and her impact on queer culture. First up, it’s Bishi - the mononymic and multi-talented musician, artist, performer, composer and curator.

A true Renaissance woman, Bishi found herself on the London queer scene at a very young age, and became part of the legendary club kid Leigh Bowery’s band Minty. She has since created music across a dizzying array of instruments and genres, and written powerfully about her experience of being a British Asian woman in the music industry. I know you’ll love her as much as I did. 

You can find Bishi at bishi.co.uk and (pandemic permitting) performing at venues all over. Her single Let My Country Awake is out now. 

Creator & host: Alice Beverton-Palmer

Producer & editor: Laura Blake

Drag Race UK is back, and it’s making herstory thanks to Victoria Scone. Yes - The Dorothy Project is back for a special one-off episode, meeting the first ever cis female drag queen to star on RuPaul’s Drag Race worldwide. 

Cardiff queen Victoria is the drag daughter of season two’s Tia Kofi. Inspired by pantomime dames and gay icons, her drag is as British as afternoon tea. But this camp classic also represents the future of the artform, uplifting ‘AFAB’ queens and drag kings as she goes. 

You can find Victoria on Twitter @VictoriaScone, on victoriascone.com, and on BBC iPlayer every Thursday night at 7pm.

Creator & host: Alice Beverton-Palmer

Producer & editor: Laura Blake

What does a self-described ‘outspoken black lesbian’ have to say about Prides and the UK's queer nightlife scene? The Dorothy Project meets Olivia Andrews, author of two recent viral articles about racism within the LGBTQ community. 

Olivia is also a Stonewall Young Campaigner alum. During her degree at the University of Leeds, she co-organised the award-winning ‘Why is My Curriculum White: Decolonising Geographies’ panel event and worked with peers and faculty to decolonise the curriculum. You can find her on Twitter @livkiera, and on her blog queerblackbabe.