Featured Posts

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 David Lowbridge-Ellis

“An alternative action hero”

David was featured on German’s biggest TV channel, ZDF, talking about how James Bond provided him with an alternative role model when he was growing up, especially compared with the supposedly hypermasculine action heroes of 70s and 80s cinema.

Read More
David Lowbridge-Ellis David Lowbridge-Ellis

Uncovering the Bond art of Michael Gillette

Michael Gillette’s art is nothing short of beloved by Bond fans. His gorgeous new hardback covers are the culmination of six years of work. He tells the full story here for the first time in this in-depth interview…

Read More
David Lowbridge-Ellis David Lowbridge-Ellis

Secrets of the Spy Bar

If I was to tell you that there is a Bond-themed speakeasy bar hidden beneath Whitehall in rooms frequented by intelligence officers during the Second World War, possibly Ian Fleming too, would you accuse me of joking? How about if I added that the bar has an Aston Martin DB5 actually installed into the wall? Well, I never joke about my favourite bars, 007 fans.

Read More
David Lowbridge-Ellis David Lowbridge-Ellis

The most thrilling Bond novel of all?

When David was invited by John Bleasdale onto his James Bond Book Club podcast, he chose to talk about Live and Let Die, for his money the most thrilling of all Fleming’s novels.

Read More
Sam Rogers Sam Rogers

Recognising strength – The Woman with the Golden Bullet

Andrea Anders drives the plot of The Man With The Golden Gun. So why is the character often overlooked when people talk about Bond Girls? On the film’s 50th anniversary, Sam Rogers explores how The Man With The Golden Gun was produced on the cusp of massive social change - and how this is reflected in the character of Andrea.

Read More
David Lowbridge-Ellis David Lowbridge-Ellis

On Our Minds Only? Bond fans talk mental health

Mental health is not discussed enough, despite it being an important element of the 007 stories. In this series, David talks very openly about mental health with members of the Bond community. He has a theory: these are the sorts of things on many of our minds but we often struggle to put them into words. Maybe we can change that?

Read More
David Lowbridge-Ellis David Lowbridge-Ellis

"A gay teen love letter to James Bond movies"

A Different Kind of Brave is a ludicrously exciting and romantic action adventure story with all of the Bond ingredients - but with two gay protagonists, one of who filters his whole life through his beloved Bond movies, which is definitely something many of us can relate to.

Read More