Organised by the Camden LGBT Forum and Queer Tours of London, the 'George Michael Sexual Freedom party' is scheduled to be held at Hampstead Heath on April 8 with the aim of both honouring his legacy while commemorating his positivity surrounding sex.
The date also celebrates the 50th anniversary of the partial decriminalisation of laws surrounding homosexuality in 1967, with a statement on the detailing that despite the laws passing being an important moment in the United Kingdom's LGBTIQ history, Michael's inability to disclose his sexuality in the late 1990s signified the continued struggle of the community.
"His sexuality was used to both criminalise and humiliate him; sadly despite his and many others who have bravely fought back this still goes on for so many of us," the statement said.
"So we want to use this celebration of one of the LGBTQIA+ community’s finest to continue to challenge the barriers that still remain."
Nell Andrew one of the Queer Tours of London guides discussed the importance of George Michael to the LGBTIQ community and how he handled his public outing in 1998 on the QTOL site.
QTOL poster Source: Queer Tours of London
“No longer with us but with presence stronger than ever, we gather at the world famous cruising area on Hampstead Heath, to ‘Go Outside’ in honour of George Michael," Andrew said.
"It will be a celebration of how he took back control after a very nasty public outing and turned it into a celebration of sexuality and sexual freedoms with the song 'Outside' and his every statement and action following this episode said screw the judgement of others. We dance and sing and roll together and shout out, in the immortal words of George, 'This Is My Culture!'"
Michael was known to cruise for sex in London's Hampstead Heath, with the singer appearing in the Extras Christmas Special in 2007, playing up his habit.
