
Celebrating gay and queer culture, from the poetry of Sappho to the film Moonlight, leading figures will champion the LGBTQ artwork that is special to them.
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Front Row is marking the 50th anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexuality
They’ll discuss the queer film, book, painting, play or song they find interesting and has significance in their lives.
Tony Kushner champions the graphic novel turned musical Fun Home by Alison Bechdel. Olly Alexander from Years And Years picks Anne Carson’s verse novel, Autobiography Of Red. Emma Donaghue chooses the 1987 Canadian lesbian film I’ve Heard The Mermaids Singing. Tarell Alvin McCraney, the Oscar-winning writer of Moonlight, discusses the Harlem drag queen documentary Paris Is Burning. And Christine And The Queen’s Heloise Letissier talks about Jean Genet’s novel Our Lady Of The Flowers.
Works range from the lesser-known, such as Alan Hollinghurst’s choice of Ronald Firbank’s novel The Flower Beneath The Foot, to more famous cultural moments, such as Dana International’s 1998 Eurovision-winning song Diva, chosen by the UK’s first out Muslim drag queen, Asifa Lahore.
Will Young picks Joan Armatrading’s song Everyday Boy, Sir Antony Sher discusses the play Torch Song Trilogy by Harvey Fierstein, and Kele Okereke from Bloc Party explores James Baldwin’s novel Giovanni’s Room.
Other guests include Stephen Fry, Mary Portas; the writers Marlon James, Juno Dawson and Colm Toibin; composer Thomas Ades; and the artists Isaac Julien and Maggi Hambling.
Producer: Timothy Prosser for the BBC
Monday 3 July 7.15pm-7.45pm BBC Radio 4
Queer Icons will broadcast on Front Row and on other Radio 4 programmes (including Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, Open Book and Radio 3’s Free Thinking) from Monday 3 July to 5 August, and the interviews will be collected together online. A special highlights programme will broadcast on Tuesday 8 August at 11.30am.
Photo by BBC