Rebel Dykes

“There is no Queer liberation without Kink!”

Rebel Dykes Film is the kick-ass story of refusal and angst that we have all been waiting for. Highlighting the experience of London’s late-1980s dyke community, director Harri Shanahan and Siân Williams’ Rebel Dykes folds archives, animation and first hand accounts into a documentary honouring the women who launched the Queer liberation movement. From Peace Camps, to the lesbian S&M club Chain Reaction, to the passing of Clause 28, Rebel Dykes illustrates an explosive time of sex, culture, and politics. 1980’s London saw an explosion of activism addressing queer rights, the AIDS crisis, class inequality, racism, and many other social issues. At a time of increased resistance to BDSM community presence, leather queers have been at the forefront of Queer advocacy, teaching us about Pride, power, sexuality, consent and creativity. Centered on a gang of working-class dykes united through squats, underground bars, art scene, Rebel Dykes is a celebration of a family of misfits, brave and unapologetic. Out to disrupt the mainstream and expansively define feminism,  the film follows the lives of London’s sex-positive rad-femme lesbian crowd, and the influential impact art can make as a tool for demanding social change.

Content advisory: Sexually explicit content.

Don’t miss a Q&A with directors Harri Shanahan, Siân Williams, and Rebel Dyke Fisch after the screening.