Legendary lesbian journalist Jackie Forster is being honored with a rainbow plaque at her former home in London, recognizing her historic contribution to LGBTQ+ (and particularly lesbian) rights.
London’s Rainbow Plaques is a program that began in 2018, commemorating significant people, locations, and historical episodes in LGBTQ+ history with markers around the country. These plaques are important not only for commemoration but for educating tourists and passersby on queer history.
Past honorees have included 19th century diarist Anne Lister, computer scientist Alan Turing, the site of the Black Lesbian & Gay Centre, the film My Beautiful Laundrette, and the inaugural meeting place of the Campaign for Homosexual Equality (CHE) organization.
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One of the rare out-and-proud lesbian broadcasters of the 1970s, Forster dedicated her life to making lesbian visibility less of a rarity. In the same year as the Stonewall riots, she came out and joined the CHE, becoming both an activist and a journalistic voice for the queer community.
She wrote for the UK’s first lesbian-specific magazine, Arena Three, and would go on to co-found one of her very own, the lesbian publication and social group Sappho (1972-1981). Later in her career, she became a member of the Greater London Council’s Women’s Committee, a curator for the Lesbian Archive, and she set up Daytime Dykes.
In addition to journalism, Forster was both a tireless activist and an actress. She passed away in 1998 at the age of 71. Forster’s rainbow plaque, which was nominated by the public and selected by the Rainbow Plaque panel, will be located at her former home on Warwick Avenue, according to Diva.
“It’s fantastic to see a new rainbow plaque unveiled in Warwick Avenue to celebrate the life of Jackie Forster,” London Mayor Sadiq Khan told the magazine.
“These plaques honour the huge contribution that our LGBTQIA+ communities have made, and continue to make, to life in our capital, so it is fitting that we remember Jackie’s significant role in promoting and championing LGBTQIA+ rights.
“Our diversity is what makes London the greatest city in the world, and we will continue to ensure that everyone feels represented in our public spaces, as we continue to build a fairer and safer London for everyone.”
Forster’s partner, Anne Lacey, celebrated the city’s recognition of Forster’s contribution to queer history. “This is a fitting tribute to a wonderful woman and a great character in the history of LGBTQIA+ rights,” Lacey said. “Jackie spent the last half of her life working unceasingly for LGBTQIA+ rights and visibility. From the day she ‘came out’ at Speakers’ Corner in 1969, she fought for the celebration of the word ‘lesbian.’”
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