England: Scott Pickett (Participant-Observation)

Participant-Observation

Traveling to an unfamiliar country can be a scary and downright dangerous experience for LGBT individuals. Research how prevalent prejudice is and if London is generally a safe city for queer people. The probability of being attacked is a real concern everywhere I go, even in friendlier places like London. Although being LGBT abroad comes with its difficulties being in a city such as London I have the opportunity to experience the rich queer scene and culture that my cis and straight peers will never truly experience. While I had to research how to survive here as a queer man I also got to research how to thrive here as a queer man. This takes me to my first exploration and view of an outwardly LGBT space in my life—Soho.

Coming from a small city in Wisconsin there wasn’t a prominent gay culture so there wasn’t a space where I could feel at home and welcomed. There was never a space where I fit in; only spaces where I was the other. Going out in Soho was a culture shock of feeling welcomed and at home. Everywhere I looked there were people who I saw myself in, bars and shops that are homes to queer culture that I was never privy to in Wisconsin. The first space that made me feel queer awe was the Ku Bar, a space that is full and lively even when the pubs surrounding it are quiet. The building is adorned with all types of flags, rainbow and transgender alike. Inside I found a community that wanted to chat and have fun, a sort of family that wasn’t tied by a heritage of blood but rather a heritage of shared experience. I found a space in which I wasn’t the other, rather I was welcomed into the group. That night proved to me the value of spaces built for othered groups, an area to find a family sewed together by shared experience and identity.

This excerpt from the autobiography of Harry Nicholas works to highlight the importance of LGBT-focused spaces: “…gay clubs, pubs, cafes, and bookshops are not just places to pull pints or meet each other, they are refuges that serve nectar to our sense of self and our cultural identity” (Nicholas). One who isn’t subjugated to societal othering may not see the value in LGBT-focused spaces but to the queer community these spaces are hubs of culture and safety. They are spaces in which one doesn’t constantly have to look over their shoulder in case they get attacked, they’re havens that allow queer people the space and freedom to be and find who they are. To finally feel the comfort that is stripped away from them when they are bound to heteronormative standards.

Scott Pickett

Major: History, English, and Psychology

Hometown: Appleton, Wisconsin

Academically and personally, I want to encounter new situations and meet people with different perspectives to open my mind to new ideas and ways of thinking. I believe this can help me professionally as I am going into education. I hope to gain a better understanding of the world around me and to later teach the differing perspectives and ideas I learn to my future students.

What do you most look forward to learning about London?

London is a massive hub of cultures. I really look forward to learning about not only British culture but also the cultures other groups that are prominent in the area. As well, I’m excited to explore the LGBTQ culture of London.