In the early 1990s there was no local press that covered Brighton’s gay scene (as we would have called it back then), in any meaningful way. In 1994, James Ledward and Jonathan Lazenby worked with Impact magazine to try and fill that gap, eventually going alone and creating The Queer Guide.
It disappeared in June 1995 after just eight issues. Perhaps Brighton wasn’t quite ready for the Q word yet. But James wasn’t giving up, and in July 1995 the first issue of Gscene magazine appeared in its place.
Gscene has been going for 30 years now, latterly being renamed Scene magazine and appearing in a purely online format. It’s a remarkable record of Brighton’s LGBTIQ+ community – our safe spaces, our struggles, our pride and joy.
Going for the full set
Before James Ledward passed away in 2019, we had been talking about making sure there was an archive of all the back issues of Gscene, available for everyone to access. Thanks to the Bishopsgate Institute in London, over 15 years worth have so far been digitised, and issues 2004–2020 are now held electronically at The Keep local history archive at Falmer.
I approached the Bishopsgate recently about collecting and digitising the early years of the magazine, 1995–2003, and got a very pleasant surprise. They have had people deposit back issues covering most of this period already, with just a few copies outstanding. When we have a complete set they have offered to digitise all the early issues of Gscene, and once again pass the files on to The Keep.
We need your help
So… do you have any old copies of Gscene stashed away that you’d be willing to donate to help us complete the collection? I’ve listed below the copies that we need, which I’ll be updating as and when donations come in (fingers crossed).
What is missing?
Gscene
1995August, September, October, December
1997February, May, September
1998
February
2000
December
The Queer Guide
It would be rude not to collect The Queer Guide as well, so we’re hoping to find back issues of that too. It only ran for eight issues, from some point towards the end of 1994 to June 1995. We need all issues apart from numbers 4 and 7. Please.
Updates
September 2025: We have been lucky enough to have four copies of Gscene (now crossed out above), and issue 4 of The Queer Guide (pictured below), donated by Jose Cunaro in Spain! Thank you so much Jose x
Head to the library!
If you do have any of the issues listed above (really, you do?), then the Jubilee Library in Jubilee Street, Brighton, has kindly agreed to take in your donations and hold them for collection. You can see the library opening hours here. You may need to ask for a manager but they will definitely take them from you. If you have any issues then contact me directly at alf@gayhistory.co.uk.
Thanks for reading this, and huge thanks if you are able to help out and save our history for the future.
