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Licence To Queer covers queer aspects of Bond books, video games and more. Search here for your favourite titles and characters or find content related to particular queer identities (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, etc).

David Lowbridge-Ellis MBE David Lowbridge-Ellis MBE

No time for family?

Much as the Bond character might persuade us to indulge in a fantasy of being able to live self-sufficiently, the truth is he’s always been part of a family. 007’s recent adventures place him at the centre of an ever-expanding ‘found family’, something he has in common with the heroes of the Marvel, Star Wars and Fast & Furious cinematic franchises.

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David Lowbridge-Ellis MBE David Lowbridge-Ellis MBE

So he strikes - and scores - like Thunderball! James Bond, football and the making of men

Football and/or James Bond are ready-made conversation starters among many men - things which you can more or less safely assume they will have an opinion about. But although these social lubricants overlap in significant ways, they present radically alternative versions of masculinity. Do we even realise how much we have been shaped by these cultural tentpoles? And why aren’t we all talking about this more?

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Marcus Marcus

OSS117: The Spy Who (Covertly) Loved Them All

On the page, Agent 117 pre-dates 007 by several years. In the noughties he was brought back to the screen by a team who would go on to win Best Picture at the Oscars. As well as poking affectionate fun at the Bond character (especially his sexuality), the films have a serious side, satirising outdated attitudes. Will the upcoming third film maintain the same winning balance of comedy and social commentary?

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David Lowbridge-Ellis MBE David Lowbridge-Ellis MBE

James Bond: Muscle Mary

The lines between ‘gay’ and ‘straight’ fashion are more blurred than ever, in part thanks to James Bond. Nevertheless, stereotypical assumptions about the clothing we choose to wear still persist. Craig’s Bond carries off a classic ‘gay look’ down to a (very tightly fitted) tee.

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David Lowbridge-Ellis MBE David Lowbridge-Ellis MBE

The Sinning Daylights

Some unused Bond songs just refuse to fade away. Back in 1986, the Pet Shop Boys were led to believe they were going to be chosen to represent queens and their country by doing musical duties on The Living Daylights. So what happened and how different would Dalton’s first film have sounded had they got the gig?

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David Lowbridge-Ellis MBE David Lowbridge-Ellis MBE

Queer re-view: Quantum of Solace

An unsettling and emotionally truthful queer parable, the direct continuation of Casino Royale teaches us that finding ourselves is a painful ongoing process, not a one off event. The film delivers its lesson like a brick through a plate glass window. Cutting quickly (too quickly for many) and deeply (Octopussy this ain't!), most of the svelte running time is a setup for a showdown with Bond's most persistent and insidious enemy: himself.

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David Lowbridge-Ellis MBE David Lowbridge-Ellis MBE

Boom Bang a Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

Bond and the Eurovision Song Contest overlap more than you might think. One is loud, glamorous, camp and massively popular with the gays. And then there is Eurovision.

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David Lowbridge-Ellis MBE David Lowbridge-Ellis MBE

Lustring on: restoring the critical sparkle of a 50 year old classic

I’m never one to avoid flying in the face of convention so I make no secret of my love for Diamonds Are Forever and I’m always eager to proselytise in its favour. To mark the release of surely the film’s most detailed review ever on the Really, 007! podcast, I take a look back at the wavering reputation of this unfairly maligned gem and the reasons behind this changeability.

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Läne Bonertz Läne Bonertz

We all have our secrets: the ‘other’ song of No Time To Die

Billie Eilish’s title song is not the only tune with a starring role in Craig’s final outing. Although this news has been overlooked in English-speaking media, the film prominently features a song from an artist whose own life of glamour mixed with sadness attracts legions of French-speaking gay fans. Queer Bond fan and Sexuality Studies graduate Läne Bonertz dissects how the song perfectly complements the ‘othered’ world of 007 and considers how its inclusion could foreshadow the fates of No Time To Die’s characters.

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