This film is part of Free
David Is Homosexual
A lonely gay man discovers friends, love and activism in this rediscovered educational film made by the Campaign for Homosexual Equality
Overview
This is an important rediscovery in Britain's LGBT history, made on a shoestring on Super8 over the hot summer of 1976 by members of the Lewisham branch of the Campaign for Homosexual Equality (CHE). The film follows lonely, isolated office clerk David as he discovers CHE, makes new friends and blossoms into a happy, out gay man. Intended as an educational tool, the film was shown around the country to straight and gay audiences. It features rare footage of the 1976 Gay Pride rally in Hyde Park, where Tom Robinson debuted his hit anthem 'Glad to be Gay'.
David is Homosexual was written and directed by the late Wilfred Avery and filmed by David Belton; the pair were supported by many gay men and lesbians from CHE and the wider community. The edited film, along with many reels of rushes and outtakes, was donated to the BFI National Archive in 2016. The soundtrack, which features music donated by Paul South of the band Handbag, has sadly deteriorated, though the narration is audible.
Related
What's a Girl Like You ... What's a Girl Like You ...
Documentary 1969 52 mins Location: Vauxhall
Scintillating look at the 1960s drag renaissance, with a visit to London's Royal Vauxhall Tavern.
Gay Black Group Gay Black Group
Magazine and Review show 1983 25 mins Location: Bloomsbury
The Gay Black Group - reasserting culture and identity on two levels.
What Am I? What Am I?
Current affairs 1980 26 mins Location: Hay-on-Wye/Y Gelli Gandryll
Transgender pioneer April Ashley appears in this moving look at the challenges faced by the trans community in 1980s Britain
Paralysis Paralysis
Drama 2016 9 mins
Struggling with the pressures of homophobia when her partner is taken away by a hateful mother, a young gay woman struggles to cope with the traumas and anxieties of her life.
Facing the Sun Facing the Sun
Drama 1980 54 mins
Sao Paulo-set love triangle drama, featuring a rare TV depiction of bisexuality.
Homosexual Equality Homosexual Equality
Factual TV 1974 50 mins Location: Westminster
The Campaign for Homosexual Equality is given airtime in the first ever community access series on British TV
Trams and Trolleybuses in London Trams and Trolleybuses in London
Amateur film 1952 10 mins Silent Location: Lewisham
Stopping at numerous locations across London, an amateur filmmaker records the last days of trams in 1952 and trolleybuses in 1962.
RT Buses in SE London RT Buses in SE London
Industry sponsored film 1978 4 mins Silent Location: Crystal Palace
Take a trip down memory lane to a time when a fleet of the popular RT buses serves the capital and congestion is still a thing of the future.
Street Scenes V: Changes, changes Street Scenes V: Changes, changes
School programme and Educational film 1975 17 mins Location: Lewisham
Changing streets and school playgrounds – plus children’s paintings – all feature in this final episode of a 1970s children series.
Lewisham's Film Review Lewisham's Film Review
Travelogue 1922 5 mins Silent Location: Lewisham
Journey into a lost London with this exquisitely detailed tour of the shops and street life of 1920s Lewisham.
Opening of Tower House Opening of Tower House
Amateur film 1933 6 mins Silent Location: Lewisham
Precious pre-war film of Lewisham town centre, shot on the opening day of Tower House, the huge Royal Arsenal Co-operative Society store, in 1933.
Laura Mulvey in Conversation Laura Mulvey in Conversation
Inside Film 2025 76 mins
Laura Mulvey in conversation, following her BFI Fellowship Award.
George Clooney in Conversation George Clooney in Conversation
Inside Film 2025 74 mins
George Clooney visited BFI Southbank to look back on his life and career.
Chloé Zhao Screen Talk | BFI London Film Festival 2025 Chloé Zhao Screen Talk | BFI London Film Festival 2025
Inside Film 2025 65 mins
The Oscar®- winning director of Nomadland discusses her unique approach to filmmaking and the inspiration behind the adaptation of Hamnet.
Edgar Wright on The Running Man Edgar Wright on The Running Man
Inside Film 2025 28 mins
The director talks to Mark Kermode about putting Stephen King's dystopian life-or-death gameshow thriller through its paces.
Richard Linklater Screen Talk | BFI London Film Festival 2025 Richard Linklater Screen Talk | BFI London Film Festival 2025
Inside Film 2025 69 mins
Richard Linklater discusses his remarkable and wide-ranging body of work, including Blue Moon and Nouvelle Vague.
Daniel Day-Lewis Screen Talk | BFI London Film Festival 2025 Daniel Day-Lewis Screen Talk | BFI London Film Festival 2025
Inside Film 2025 73 mins
Daniel Day-Lewis, the ultimate actor’s actor discusses his career in conversation with Mark Kermode.