Shoulder to Shoulder: on coalition, solidarity & chaos with Jake Hall

Oppressive powers and those profiting from oppression would always have us think that we’re isolated - separately struggling for our communities, addressing separate issues. In reality, none of us do or can live in silos. Coalitions and alliances punctuate history with the most galvanising stories of success, connection and collective power.

We invite you to explore solidarity, past and present, with us as we celebrate the paperback publication of the astoundingly empowering Shoulder to Shoulder: A Queer History of Solidarity, Coalition and Chaos.

In this love letter to the pioneers of solidarity and coalition, Jake Hall takes us into the world of these trailblazers, bringing their tales to life and exploring both the inexplicable joys and brutal realities in their fights for justice. Spanning movements from the Black Panthers coalition with the Gay Liberation Front in the US to queer solidarity groups in Argentina, Spain, France and Germany; from trans fights for abortion rights to the Pride support for miners strikes in the UK, Shoulder to Shoulder will show that the stories of marginalised activists have always been intertwined and highlights how comradery will always be the best option for joint liberation.

Let the real people and embodied examples of solidarity in Shoulder to Shoulder set the tone for the rest of 2025 as we seek opportunities for fruitful, glorious coalitions in the year to come.

Our speaker:

Jake Hall is a freelance journalist, public speaker and author of The Art of Drag, published by Nobrow Press in September 2020. For the last six years they have been writing extensively on queer culture, drag history, sex work and harm reduction, all through the lens of leftist politics. They have also worked in-house for publications including The Independent and MEL Magazine, an LA-based online culture magazine which delves deep into masculinity, sex and porn through a witty, light-hearted lens.

When not chained to a laptop, Jake can be found partying topless in drag clubs, curating events as part of a training scheme with Sheffield venue DINA, weightlifting and watching way, way too many hours of pro wrestling.