Sophie Meyer - Founder of Queer Kernow and Heritage Professional

1. What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Winning the 2022 Cornwall Heritage Award for Wellbeing. This was awarded for the LGBTQ+ Cornish history zine that Queer Kernow produced and distributed to secondary schools in Cornwall.

After struggling to get LGBT stories to the forefront and finally setting up Queer Kernow to explore this history in Cornwall, it was really lovely to have that hard work validated and recognized by the heritage industry that I've long been trying to change.

Queer Kernow is a non-profit community project based in the heart of Cornwall. Our goal is to act as a conduit for LGBT history in our local area: partnering with local museums and archives to research this facet of Cornwall’s past and share the stories that we uncover. We want to challenge intolerance through education and outreach, connect Cornwall’s current LGBTQ community with their past, and celebrate the rich and fascinating world of queer Cornish history — all the way from prehistory to the present day.

2. What motivates you to do what you do?

I want everyone to feel represented and connect with their history. It infuriates me, as a historian, that the heritage sector does not always serve the LGBTQ+ and other marginalised communities. To see people disconnected and disenfranchised from history when there is such a wealth of diverse stories makes me angry that this information is not being disseminated out. So I guess I’m fuelled by indignation!

3. What do you owe your mother?

A love and fascination with history. I grew up constantly visiting museums and heritage sites with her.


I feel like I owe my grandmother a lot as well. We’re very alike and her love of community and her endless capability for kindness is something I greatly admire.

4. Which women inspire you and why?

The people I find most inspiring are the women on the ground doing the grass-roots community work that really impact people's lives on a day to day basis.

Personally I’m in awe of Celine Elliott and all she’s doing towards inclusion at the Cornwall Museums Partnership. Then there's the brilliant Annie Kenton, Director of Transparent Presence and Trustee of Cornwall Pride who works tirelessly to support the trans community in Cornwall. And, of course, Babs Roundsvell of the CHAOS group for all her work supporting the people of Cornwall in a multitude of ways from food larders to mental health support.

5. What are you reading?

'Female Husbands: A Trans History' by Jenna Manion

6. What gender barriers have you had to hurdle?

I moved from field archaeology to museums as – not only did I want to work inside during the snow – but because field work is a very male-dominated arena. The lack of pastoral oversight on training excavations with young (often teenage) female archaeologists is appalling and too many have stories of sexist and downright abusive behaviour by male colleagues and professors.

7. How can the world be made a better place for women?

Women's rights and trans rights are openly under attack - and the two are inextricably linked.

I think one of the biggest issues facing modern feminism is the internal divisions. We can’t be tearing ourselves apart when decisions like the overturning of Roe Vs Wade are occurring. It’s always deeply upsetting when you see feminists not embracing our trans sisters when we should all be united in the fight for equality.

8. Describe your perfect day?

Hanging out on my favourite beach, with a book, my wife, and my sister.

9. We've noticed there really aren't many (if any) statues of women around Cornwall - who would you like to see remembered?

This is a difficult question because in a utopian world I don’t think statues should exist as it *literally* puts people on a pedestal. However, as statues are part of our civic life - I would nominate Emily Hobhouse, as frankly it's astonishing she doesn’t have one already. Emily Hobouse was a Cornish welfare and anti-war campaigner who is most notable for her campaign against the conditions in British concentration camps in South Africa during the Boer War.

10. Give us a tip?

I try to live by the words of Maya Angelou: ‘Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.’

Sophie Meyer is Founder and Director of Queer Kernow CIC and is also a Trustee of Cornwall Pride. Sophie has a Masters degree in Roman archaeology and Degree in Archaeology from Southampton University. She has worked in heritage for over ten years and has moved through the ranks of some of Cornwall’s well known heritage organisations and currently works with Cornwall Heritage Trust.

(Sophie Meyer (left) and Nicki Foley (right) - Founder and co-founder of Queer Kernow CIC winning awards at the Cornwall Heritage Awards)