Purple gay

Gay men in America were taunted for possessing a “dash” or “streak” of lavender, thanks in large part to Abraham Lincoln’s biographer Carl Sandburg, who described one of the president.

Our LGBTQ+ Working Group have added a series of Lavender Labels to the Scottish Design Galleries that explore queer stories connected to some of our objects. But why lavender? One of our advisors Keava McMillan delves into the queer history of purple to explore the meanings this colour holds for the LGBTQ+ community.