Ep.67: Exploring Tate Britain’s 80s Exhibition Through a Black Queer Lens w/ Campaigner Marc Thompson

Marc Thompson is a prominent British campaigner with over three decades of experience in HIV/AIDS activism and education. Diagnosed with HIV in 1986 at the age of 17, he has dedicated his career to advocating for the health and well-being of Black and queer communities across the country.

Marc is currently the Lead Commissioner for Do It London, a public health campaign that has significantly reduced new HIV diagnoses by promoting regular testing, treatment, and prevention tools. He co-curates the digital archive 'Black and Gay, Back in the Day,' which documents life in Britain from the 1970s to the early 2000s.

Throughout his career, Marc has held key roles in organizations like the NHS, Terrence Higgins Trust, Gay Men Fighting AIDS, Big Up, Positively UK, and Blackout UK. As co-founder of PrEPster in 2015, he helped make pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) freely available on the NHS. In addition to his activism, Marc hosted the brilliant Brocolli Productions series 'We Were Always Here,' which tells the story of the UK HIV epidemic through unheard voices.

His work has been instrumental in addressing health inequalities, particularly among Black gay men, queer men of color, and migrants who are disproportionately affected by HIV.

Rotimi Fani-Kayode, Bronze Head, 1987. Courtesy of Autograph ABP.

Rotimi Fani-Kayode, Untitled, 1988. Courtesy of Autograph ABP.

Rotimi Fani-Kayode, Abiku (Born to Die), 1988. Courtesy of Autograph ABP.

The 80s: Photographing Britain is an ambitious survey at Tate Britain, showcasing nearly 350 images and archival materials. The exhibition examines how photographers used the camera to respond to the era's seismic social, political, and economic shifts, highlighting photography as a tool for social representation, cultural celebration, and artistic expression during this pivotal and highly creative period.

Anna Fox Friendly Fire, target (Margaret Thatcher), 1989

Melanie Friend, Greenham Common, 1985... (c) Melanie Friend, Format Photographers.

Paul Trevor, Outside police station, Bethnal Green Road, London E2, 17 July 1978. Sit down protest against police racism. 1978 © Paul Trevor

The exhibition, which runs until 5 May 2025, features the work of photographers who reshaped the medium to confront the pressing issues of the time, including Suzanne Roden, Pogus Caesar, Martin Parr, Rotimi Fani-Kayode, Don McCullin, Paul Graham, Vanley Burke, Melanie Friend, Tessa Boffin, Sunil Gupta, Ajamu X, and Lyle Ashton Harris. Spanning landscapes, self-portraiture, and social documentary, The 80s: Photographing Britain explores themes such as Thatcher-era policies and class struggles, race uprisings, the AIDS crisis and homophobic Section 28 legislation, as well as Black queer resistance and cultural activism.