We’re thrilled to announce the launch of Out of the Closet, Into the Museum, a brand new zine celebrating queer joy, resilience and history in Norwich and beyond. Launched on 17th July 2025, just ahead of Norwich Pride, this exciting booklet invites us to explore stories that have too often been left out of the spotlight.
Inside its pages, you’ll find bold and brilliant tales of local LGBTQ+ life. From the legendary Black Anna to the spirited Cottage Ladies, and the unforgettable social worker extraordinaire, Barbara Ross, these stories are powerful reminders of our community’s strength, creativity and the community spaces we’ve carved out for ourselves through time.
As Adam Baker from Queer Norfolk put it: “This represents a building of knowledge from many different people, from Jo Foster-Murdoch’s initial tour based on her oral histories, to the research from the Queer Norfolk team. The zine will allow people to explore the museum at their own pace, and reveals stories of queer joy and resilience in Norwich and beyond.”
To celebrate the launch, Queer Norfolk volunteers led mini tours of the museum, bringing the zine’s stories to life, highlighting some of the hidden histories already held in the museum’s exhibitions.
We’d like to give a huge thank you to Hannah Henderson and the Museum team for hosting the event and supporting the creation of the zine. Massive thanks also go to our brilliant volunteers Milly, Eve and Honor for their hard work and passion in creating the guide.
The Zine is available from the museum for free right now. Grab a copy, explore at your own pace, and discover the stories that help shape our shared queer heritage!
Queer Norfolk is a volunteer-led archiving project that hands ownership of queer collections back to communities, empowering people to access, discover, and contribute to local collections that reflect our shared histories.
