Angie, also known as “Angie Amazon”, was a young mother who in 1986 at age 23 moved, with her young son Ben, into the women’s commune at 148 Boulevard. She lived there, surrounded by care, for around three years. The house functioned as a refuge from violence, instability, and social stigma around lesbian identity, and became central to Angie’s life as she came out. With the group she took part in activism including visits to Greenham Common and Pride in London.
In that house was Mel, also known as Lel. There was a woman called Alfie. And one called Denny. There as Mindy, she was the matriarch and she lived at the top and had a dark room. She made B&W photographs and developed them. I took one of my son and have it still, that was 40 years ago! There was Janine in the flat at the back. We all had cats! There was six cats, six women and one dog. Ben my son used to come in through the cat flap too. Those women were all like sisters. That house saved me. It was brilliant. They bought it and did it up. We did it ourselves. There was a woman called Safron, from Wales, she was a carpenter. She took all the floorboards up and sorted them. I had a bed on a platform I made myself.
I always knew I was gay. I went on the streets as a prostitute and got pregnant and got a son. I always wanted a child. Them girls took me in. When I met the girls, I knew I was gay, they were out and proud. Them girls helped me so much, I thought I was born again when I met them. We all wore Amazon Axe earrings – amazon warriors. They were women standing up for themselves. If I could go back I would. I felt safe.
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