Everyone Involved – Queer Britain, London

Queer Britain’s first immersive exhibition is Ian Giles’ Everyone Involved, which looks back at the early days of the gay liberation movement.

Gay is Good

There is a little bit of gay in everyone today
So why not let it out?
That’s what we say
Gay is natural, gay is good, gay is wonderful
Gay people should all come together and fight for our rights

Everyone Involved – A Gay Song Lyrics – written by Alan Wakeman and Michael Klein.

The song I’ve quoted above was written in 1972, only five years after the partial decriminalisation of sex between men in England and Wales. It was the early days of the gay liberation movement, and the heyday of the protest song. The band, and their album, were called Everyone Involved. After recording the album, which featured songs about human rights and environmental issues, Everyone Involved distributed 1,000 copies for free.

Over fifty years later, the current artwork is a new commission for Southampton Art Gallery, which premiered in Southampton before this London premiere at Queer Britain. Giles brought original participants in the 1972 recording back together, and filmed the results. For the London exhibition this becomes an immersive installation. A four-channel cut of the film plays on TV screens in front of a seating and conversation area. Purple textiles made from vintage fabrics line the walls, providing sound baffling and creating a cosy ambiance. Their colour, of course, had been recently reclaimed in 1972 by the gay liberation movement. A few objects and images refer to the countercultural context in which this song emerged. The staging is simple but effective.

An Intergenerational Moment

Looking back with decades of hindsight, A Gay Song seems very much of its moment. The simple, direct messages and melody are very much the hallmarks of protest songs of the era. But have things really moved on so much? In some ways, yes. We can point to ways in which the rights of LGBTQ+ people have moved forward between 1972 and now. And yet those rights are not universal, not always enforced, and at risk of erosion in many parts of the world (and in this country).

That makes Everyone Involved an important exhibition for two reasons. The first is that Giles’ film creates an intergenerational moment, bringing a song from the past into the present so that it can connect with those who continue to fight for their rights today. The second is that it is joyful. The intervening years have seen massive change, some for the good (like marriage equality) and some for the bad (like the AIDS epidemic). In that context, it is a nice thing to see community elders come back together and do something as joyful as singing. As Ian Giles says:

“When I first encountered ‘A Gay Song’, I was struck by how direct and joyful it was. It was made at a moment when gay people were beginning to organise publicly and challenge the idea that being gay was something to be ashamed of. More than 50 years later bringing the original musicians back together gave us a chance to hear that history in their voices again — and to think about what has changed, and what hasn’t.”

Ian Giles, quoted in the Queer Britain press release for the exhibition.

This is a one-room exhibition, so factor that in if you’re planning to travel to see it. It’s also a good opportunity to see what else is on at Queer Britain, including its permanent collection display. I found it a nice, heart-warming moment on a busy day, an opportunity to reflect on activism and social change and the power of individuals to come together.

Everyone Involved on until 21 November 2026. More info here.