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Kissing Coppers
2006

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Kissing Coppers is a Banksy stencil that pictures two British policemen kissing. It was originally unveiled on the wall of the Prince Albert Pub in Brighton in 2004 and gained significant attention due to Banksy's notoriety as a provocative street artist and activist. It has frequently been regarded as one of Banksy’s most notable works.


The original was replaced with a replica encased in Perspex after being carefully removed in 2011. It has fetched $575,000 USD at a US auction after being removed from the wall of the Brighton pub.


This piece is perfect as a celebration of tolerance in a city noted for its gay-friendly vibe since the 1960s. However, things weren’t always so tolerant. Until 2000, homosexuals were still barred from serving in the British armed forces. Section 28, an act introduced by Margaret Thatcher to ban councils and schools from promoting homosexuality in 1987, was not replaced until 2003. It was only in the same year that gay policemen were allowed to march uniform at gay pride events. The Civic Partnership Act, giving same-sex couples the same rights as heterosexual couples, was not introduced until 2004. In other words, when Banksy stencilled this piece, gay rights were still a big issue. (Tapies, Xavier: Where’s Banksy?, Graffito Books Ltd., 2019)

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