This Pride Month, explore the Museum’s galleries after hours and celebrate the fascinating fluidity of life on Earth.
On Friday 27 June, Pride at the Natural History Museum will dive into the diversity of sexual behaviour, biology and reproduction found in nature, with the Museum’s expert scientists on hand to chat to guests about all manner of subjects – from asexual reproduction in Komodo dragons to the marvellous mating methods of molluscs.
Visitors will also be treated to performances from award-winning drag king Bi-Curious George and games of Dino Bingo. Those looking to unleash their creativity can pick their favourite specimen to use as a muse in the arts and crafts workshops.
Head over to the book stall to find Josh Davis, the author of A Little Gay Natural History, described by Stephen Fry as “a very welcome slap on the wrist for those who claim that same-sex love, intimacy and bonding are ‘unnatural’”. Josh’s book, created in collaboration with some of the Museum’s world-leading scientists, gives an engrossing insight into some of nature’s most intriguing examples of non-heteronormative biology, from the beautiful ‘gynandromorph’ butterfly to the bicolour parrotfish.
Take a Gender and Sexual Diversity Tour, which winds through several of the Museum galleries to highlight the diversity of gender and sex in the natural world. Tours for the evening will be bookable the week of the event – ticketholders should keep an eye on their inbox to ensure they don’t miss out on the night!
The opportunity to immerse yourself in the Museum’s galleries away from the hustle and bustle of the daytime crowds is also not to be missed. Entry to the Museum’s usually paid-for exhibitions is included in the event ticket price too.
The Museum’s new out-of-this-world exhibition Space: Could Life Exist Beyond Earth beckons to anyone asking the question: are we alone in the universe? Nowhere else in Europe can visitors touch a fragment of the moon, snap a selfie holding a piece of Mars and lay their hands on a meteorite older than Earth.
Guests can also snag a final chance to drink in the stunning images in this year’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition before it closes on Sunday 29 June.
Tickets to Pride at the Natural History Museum are on sale now. Visit https://www.nhm.ac.uk/events/pride-at-the-museum.html to find out more.
The event is for ages 18+ only. Doors will open at 18:45 and last entry is at 20:30. Tickets cost £20. Drinks and snacks can be purchased from the bar throughout the evening.
For anyone who can’t make the after-hours event, fear not – there are still other ways to mark Pride this year with the Museum. The free Gender and Sexual Diversity tour runs on the first Wednesday and Saturday each month. Or take the Museum’s virtual LGBTQ+ video tour from the comfort of your own home.
