London, Amsterdam, Peter Tatchell, Sue Sanders, and the art of widescreen protest…
Madonna means you too, if you’re reading Gay London Life right now, or anyone who dares stick their head over the parapet to live as their authentic selves. And 66 countries still persecuting LGBTQ+ people across the planet really don’t like that. At all. The number’s just gone up – West Africa’s Niger.
With 59 years of undaunted, unbroken worldwide activism against injustice, Peter Tatchell leads out in punchy new short Actify, debuting in Curzon Soho’s frank and uncompromising July 16 World Pride Amsterdam trilogy, with the premiere of Bob: Man of The Angels. The bold main feature tells the story we don‘t know so well in the UK, the incredible fightback by Dutch Resistance LGBT+ rebels like ‘Bob Angelo‘ (Niek Engelschman), Bet Van Beeren and Willem Arondeus under vicious Nazi Occupation, and Angelo’s 1946 founding of the LGBT organisation which lit the flame for much of the battle for our rights across Europe and beyond – COC Netherlands. COC and Bob’s legacy Bob Angelo Fonds supported the film, and executive producer was our very own key UK LGBT rights legend, the late Andrew Lumsden.
The music video for Bob: Man of The Angels theme song by Tall Houses, An Endless Desire, is out today.
Peter and LGBT+ History co-founder Sue Sanders give no quarter to outlaw regimes. “Twenty-nine Commonwealth countries still criminalise homosexuality, mostly under British colonial-era laws,’ Peter reports, “in direct violation of the Commonwealth Charter’s commitment to equality and non-discrimination.” But action constantly needs new voices and bodies to join on and steel will to keep the current pushback at bay – now more than ever. “We have not won. Yet.” as Andrew used to say.
Men of The Angels, presenters Dan De La Motte (pictured), Dan Glass and Polish activist Szymon Adamczak are Next Gen activists, inspired by the original guard. And In Actify they meet others like Amsterdam’s 10-carat diamond, Jennifer Hopelezz (Club ChUrch and Amsterdam’s new Walk Of Pride). “Progress isn’t linear;” says Dan De La Motte, “it has peaks and troughs. We’re on the verge of a trough, and the first step to avoiding it is to see it. I hope the film serves as a warning and a rallying cry.”
Peter’s pitch for why and how young people need to get involved with changing their future – and present – is riveting. It’s hard to resist him. Many have failed. Like Trump and FIFA’s Infantino just recently in Seattle. “Action equals life. Silence equals death.” Peter and Sue take us on ‘Solidarity Pride’ with an outraged, diverse crowd, many LGBT+ refugees, doorstepping Hungary’s London Embassy before homophobe Orbàn’s dethroning. In May they had Ian McKellen bringing the Middle Earth magic for the ‘Walk of Shame’, eight offending High Commissions getting the Uninvited Callers experience in one day across London. The joy of Pride season is one thing. In 2026 effective protest seems to happen elsewhere.
If Peter is the latter day Daddy of Human Rights, Sue Sanders is the Momma of diversity and inclusion. Momma doesn’t take kindly to tyrants messing with her chicks. “For 50 years I’ve worked to visibilise and usualise LGBT+ people, and demonstrate how so many LGBT+ people made vital contributions to our society.” In full sail on film, Sue’s fabulously impressive. “I attended the first Pride in Sydney and the first lesbian march there. The former ended up as a riot, the latter was about 5 of us and a dog in the rain!”
Ask Peter and Sue for yourselves – live at the Curzon Soho Q&A, along with Szymon Adamczak, Dan De La Motte, Monique Doppert and Dan Glass. Or if you’re in Amsterdam for World Pride, go see the films at Filmhuis Cavia, the city’s little jewel of an indie cinema with its fearless 45-year history of gutsy cinema with a conscience. Bob would have liked that.
Actify screens with Bob: Man of The Angels, Je Weet Wie Je Bent and Beds 2: Levon.
18 cert. Thurs 16 Jul 18:20 Curzon Soho, 99 Shaftesbury Avenue W1D 5DY
Live Q&A with Peter Tatchell and Sue Sanders
London: Click here to get tickets. Booking discount code 16 Jul: BMOTA10 online or show at door
Amsterdam: The films play a short run at Filmhuis Cavia Amsterdam 20:30 29 Jul, 2-3 Aug during World Pride Amsterdam 2026, more info here
