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Licence To Queer covers queer aspects of Bond books, video games and more. Search here for your favourite titles and characters or find content related to particular queer identities (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, etc).
007 decades of LGBTQ+ history
The Bond books, films and games are more than just cultural artefacts: they comprise a time capsule of seven volatile decades of social and political history - especially LGBTQ+ history. Although the lives of queer people over this period have generally improved, it’s a mistake to see this improvement as universal - or linear. Sometimes putting one foot forward has been swiftly followed by having to take two back. For seventy years, Bond has been there, reflecting and representing this ever-changing world in which we’re living.
The truth about Tennyson: Britishness, ‘buggering on’ and the gay love poem at the heroic heart of Skyfall
M’s poetry reading is one of Skyfall’s most gripping and memorable scenes, imbuing the film with a sense of what Winston Churchill would have termed ‘buggering on’. It also contains a tragic gay love story, mostly forgotten about (or hidden) for nearly 200 years.
15 Shades of Gray
Charles Gray’s Blofeld is a divisive figure to say the least. But whether you love him or loathe him, there’s one thing we can all agree on: he is shady. Here I unpick Ernst’s most waspish comments to reveal the uncomfortable truths about both him and the man he cannot live without - James Bond.
The fantasy you’ve freed in me: ‘80s Bond meets classic ‘80s TV
Many of you will have seen Sam Rogers’ videos where he brilliantly re-imagines ‘80s Bond films as the most iconic TV shows from that decade. Here, Sam gives a personal introduction to each video and shares his video editing journey.
David was featured on German’s biggest TV channel, ZDF, talking about how James Bond provided him with an alternative role model when he was growing up, especially compared with the supposedly hypermasculine action heroes of 70s and 80s cinema.