LGBT+ History Month 2022 – Art and History – Danny Osborne on the film ‘My Beautiful Laundrette’

The theme for LGBT+ History Month 2022 is Art and Politics focussing on how art and expression have helped to bring about change and justice for the rights of LGBT+ people.

For this at Together we asked staff and service users who identify as LGBT+ to share examples of art (including any form of creative expression such as music, film, literature or art) that was inspiring and important to them. We wanted to hear how that art was used to tell stories of LGBT+ people to bring about change and how that in turn benefited their own mental health.

Danny Osborne is the Project Manager at our Avalon Accommodation Service and was kind enough to share the hugely positive impact the film ‘My Beautiful Laundrette’ had on him. Danny explains the plot of the film and how it was the first time he had seen a same sex relationship portrayed in a positive and loving way as well as the themes around race and capitalism that also come through. He also shares the way the experience of seeing the film made him feel in this first clip and why it was significant:

In this second clip Danny describes the way the film was beneficial to his mental wellbeing and how it helped him with the process of coming out:

In this third clip Danny explains how ‘My Beautiful Laundrette’ was a factor in him deciding to write his dissertation around the topic of homophobia and reflects on changes that have come about:

Thank you to Danny for taking the time to take part in these films.