Queer Domesticity (2023–2026)

A collaborative quilt made through community workshops, supported by funding from what was Leeds Inspired. With additional support from Leigh Bowser. 

The quilt draws on imagery from Susanne Bösche's 1981 children's book Jenny Lives with Eric and Martin, which depicts the everyday domestic life of a young girl and her two fathers. The book became a target of controversy under Section 28, which prohibited local authorities from intentionally promoting homosexuality. In reality, the book offered children an opportunity to encounter a different understanding of family, challenging the assumption that family life had to fit a heterosexual model.

Queer domesticity, love and joy have long been targets of politicisation, debate and stigma. Section 28 characterised homosexuality as a “pretend family relationship & a promotion of homosexuality” at a time when 75% of the British public believed that homosexuality was always or mostly wrong. Queer relationships have historically been excluded from dominant ideas of family and domestic life, often forcing expressions of love and intimacy into secrecy. This makes the documentation, preservation and celebration of queer life in domestic spaces particularly important.

Led by textile artist Andi Walker, the quilt began during two community workshops at Leeds Central Library in 2023. This was part of a series of events "Twenty Years On - The Legacy of Section 28"  produced by Hold It Up Collective. Participants were invited to reflect on their own experiences of queer domesticity and contribute imagery to the quilt, marking the 20th anniversary of the repeal of Section 28. The work was completed in 2026 with additional support from textile artist Leigh Bowser.

Andiwalker.com
@holditupcollective | @florianoscarartist | @nenova.Kris | @frankie.mazzotta
Leighlalovesyou.com

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