Bishopsgate Institute — LGBTQIA+ Collections

Terribly disappointing experience visiting today the LGBTQAi+ Archive. This is an incredibly important institution and the archive is the symbol of decades of struggle for our community. Sadly, a few female employees working there don’t seem to understand how to receive visitors or, explain how the system works. We were met with a lack of welcoming manners. They seem like they dislike their job and they treat this place as if they’re working at a post office and don’t seem to care to listen to what I was trying to do today. They operate more like robots than humans. The silver lining is that these employees will be gone at some point, while the archive will prevail, which is what matters but I had a bitter sweet time dealing with them today while I was trying to show to my friend the space and my work that has been previously donated. The attention at my NHS surgery is kinder than the attitudes we were met with today. Do better.

I was collecting blood from a donor session.

On Saturday 30 May 2026, I arranged to meet a friend in the reception area at Bishopsgate Institute because of the extreme heat outside. It’s somewhere we’ve met many times over the years and has always felt welcoming. The reception area was completely empty when I arrived, so I didn’t think quietly waiting there for a few minutes would be a problem. I understand venues have rules, and I would have completely accepted being asked to wait outside if it had been handled politely. What was disappointing was how rude and dismissive the receptionist was. The tone of the interaction felt unnecessarily unfriendly and not at all fitting for a cultural institution like this. Sadly, after many positive experiences over the years, it’s probably not somewhere me or my friends will choose to visit again.