Opening Doors London proudly presents ‘From a Whisper to a Roar’ oral history project

We have a dedicated website for this project containing podcasts, transcripts and imagery fromawhisper2aroarwebsite 

From a Whisper to a Roar traces the history and development of the modern LGBTQ movement through the voices of the women who lived it. The Stonewall Riots of June 1969 in New York marked a step change in the character of the fight for equal rights for the LGBTQ community with the creation of the Gay Liberation Front. The queer community was moving from closeted lives to celebrating their identity with pride.  

Much of the recorded history focussed on the men, but the women were there: just as angry, excited and exhilarated by the fight for equal rights and the prospect of changing the world. These stories of love and protest record lesbian, bisexual and trans women’s stories and voices as they rose from a whisper to a roar! 

The unique and powerful testimony of these lesbian, bisexual and trans women who lived through this tumultuous period in LGBTQ history is vividly portrayed as they speak about their lives and extraordinary political activism in a series of interviews and podcasts culminating in a launch event on International Women’s Day.

Made possible by money raised by National Lottery players, the project was officially launched on Sunday 8 March and featured several speakers from the forty or so women who were interviewed as well as strong visual imagery by artist Lesley Greening and print maker Clare Somerville-Perkins.

Evelyn Pittman, ‘From a Whisper to a Roar’ project coordinator said, “Women’s experiences and contributions are largely missing from history; here is a chance to experience an alternative version – the sistory. We’ve captured women’s stories, both personal and political, to uncover the huge contribution they have made towards gaining the rights we have today. They campaigned, protested and had impassioned rows in the fight for these rights. They also knew how to party, make music, dance together, fall wildly in lust and deeply in love.”

The project has been generously funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Content Links

From a Whisper to a Roar podcasts: https://anchor.fm/lori-e-allen 


The podcast series would not have been possible without the involvement of sound artist Lori E Allen.

The exhibition was created through the collaboration of curator and visual artist Lesley Greening and print artist Clare Somerville-Perkins. 


Press contact information

Bella Normark – Communications Officer, Opening Doors London
[email protected]/ 0207 239 0400