LGBT+ History Month in the UK is celebrated every February. This month-long celebration was initiated in the UK in 2005 by Schools Out UK, aiming to recognise and honour the history, achievements and contributions of the LGBT+ community.
It serves as an important reminder of the progress made in the fight for equality and the continuing work needed in this area.
The history behind it
LGBT+ History Month has a rich and significant history. It was first observed in February 2005, following its establishment in 2004 by Schools OUT UK, an organisation dedicated to LGBT+ equality in education. Co-founded by the late Paul Patrick and Professor Emeritus Sue Sanders, the month was created in response to the long-standing invisibility and marginalisation of LGBT+ history.
Importance and impact
The month is an opportunity to reflect on the struggles and achievements of the LGBT+ community, promoting understanding and acceptance. It’s also a chance to acknowledge ongoing challenges and continue advocating for equal rights and social justice.
This years theme
The theme for LGBT+ History Month 2024 in the UK is “Medicine – #UnderTheScope.” This theme aims to celebrate the contributions of LGBT+ individuals in the field of medicine and healthcare, both historically and in contemporary times. It’s an opportunity to showcase the significant work of LGBT+ staff across the NHS and other healthcare settings, especially during challenging times like the pandemic. The theme also seeks to highlight the complicated history of the LGBT+ community’s experience with receiving healthcare and the ongoing health inequalities they face.
What happens during the month?
Throughout the month, various events, webinars, workshops and educational resources are offered to educate people about LGBTQ history and celebrate the diversity of the community. These events include film screenings, talks, exhibitions and more, aiming to raise awareness of LGBTQ+ issues and showcase the talents of LGBTQ+ artists.
To mark LGBT+ History Month, and the launch of ‘The Fights That Make Us’, Sarah and Catherine will be in conversation about LGBTQ+ histories.
Sarah Hagger-Holt is the award-winning author ‘The Fights That Make Us’, her fourth children’s novel.
Catherine Lee is Professor of Inclusive Education and Deputy Dean at Anglia Ruskin University and author of ‘Pretended: Schools and Section 28: Historical, Cultural and Personal Perspectives’.
To mark LGBT+ History Month, and the launch of ‘The Fights That Make Us’, Sarah and Catherine will be in conversation about LGBTQ+ histories, the power of storytelling, the impact of Section 28 and the issues facing LGBTQ+ students and teachers in education today.
07/02/2024: LGBT+ HISTORY MONTH 2024 | EVERY BODY + Q&A
Focusing on the lives of three intersex people who are leading a global movement advocating for the intersex community.
Newham Community Cinema presents a special screening in celebration of LGBTQIA+ History Month.
EVERY BODY follows the lives of three intersex people; actor and screenwriter River Gallo (they/them), political consultant Alicia Roth Weigel (she/they), and Ph.D. student Sean Saifa Wall (he/him). From childhoods marked by shame, secrecy, and non-consensual surgeries to thriving adulthoods after each decided to set aside medical advice to keep their bodies a secret and instead came out as their authentic selves. Now leaders in a fast-growing global movement advocating for a greater understanding of the intersex community and an end to unnecessary surgeries.
Get ready to dance the night away at our LGBTQ+ Silent Disco, where you can express yourself freely with amazing beats.
Come and dance the night away at the Bolton Aquarium’s Silent Disco for LGBTQ History Month, to celebrate and honour the contributions of the LGBTQ+ community to music and culture. This event is open to everyone who loves to move to the beat and have a great time. With wireless headphones, you’ll enjoy a unique silent disco experience surrounded by exotic marine life such as Piranhas, Stingrays, and so much more!
24/02/2024: ParaPride 2024: Marking LGBTQ+ History! | ParaPride
Join us for ParaPride’s brand-new event in celebration of LGBTQ+ History Month 2024!
We have an incredible line-up of talented performers, from comedy sensations, drag royalties, acrobatic performances, poetry, burlesque and DJ sets.
Following the success of last year’s impactful event, we will present a new ‘Dis-section’ panel discussion with special guest speakers, focusing the conversation on Disability Empowerment and Inclusion. There will also be a Community Networking area for everyone to engage, socialise, make connections, share information and have fun.
We’re very excited to be hosting this event at Hoxton Hall in the vibrant and diverse London borough of Hackney. We are committed to creating an inclusive, accessible and enjoyable event in a safe environment for our intersectional disabled LGBTQ+ community, as well as for our friends and supporters.
25/02/2024: LGBTQ+ History Month Panel: Trans+ Healthcare | Queer Britain
Join us and a panel of speakers from across the London health and medical community as they discuss trans+ healthcare in the UK.
Celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month at Queer Britain as we explore this year’s theme of Medicine.
Join us and a panel of speakers from across the London health and medical community as they discuss trans+ healthcare in the UK. This will be an opportunity to hear from NHS workers who are supporting trans+ people and developing ways to empower and uplift the community through affirmative healthcare.
Inclusivity
LGBT+ History Month is inclusive of all identities within the LGBTQIA+ spectrum, despite the name. The “+” in LGBT+ symbolises this inclusivity.
LGBT+ History Month is a key event that not only focuses on celebrating the LGBT+ community but also on promoting acceptance and tolerance towards those who are different from us. It is a step towards understanding the history of the LGBTQ+ community to better comprehend the current challenges it faces.
Books
Winner of the 2021 School Library Association Information Book Award.
Whoever you are, HAVE PRIDE.
This inspirational history of the international LGBTQ+ movement will teach readers to accept and have pride in themselves and others, whatever their sexuality. It details the struggles and successes of LGBTQ+ movements around the world, looking at decriminalisation, the Stonewall riots and their legacy, global Pride movements, the HIV/AIDS crisis and equal marriage. It also includes profiles of significant LGBTQ+ figures from history and messages from young, modern-day members of the LGBTQ+ community, explaining why they have pride in themselves – and why you should, too.
Praise for Have Pride:
‘Never has a book lived up to its title, or been as deserving of so many accolades, as Have Pride … Everything about this book is outstanding and cleverly designed to not only inspire but also to engage and empower young people … This positive, celebratory, inspirational book highlights how far we’ve come and offers hope for the future. Have Pride is, without a doubt, the most important book you will ever buy for your school library’ Eileen Armstrong, ReadingZone.com
50 years of Pride in the words of those who changed the world.
Half a century has passed since 2,000 people marched in the very first Pride march, in New York City. It was a moment when the LGBT+ community rose up against centuries of hatred and persecution, spawning a global movement and the Pride parades that now take place around the world.
The Little Book of Pride is a collection of quotes that captures the voices of those who have played a key part in the long journey to a place of Pride – from the very first pioneers, to those who took the fight into the streets of the Stonewall riots, and right up to today’s movers and shakers.
‘Your lives matter. Your voices matter. Your stories matter.’
Actress and trans activist Laverne Cox at the Golden Globes Awards, 2016.
Pride & Progress began as a podcast created to amplify the voices of LGBT+ educators and allies. This book builds upon the podcast’s success to create an essential guide for teachers and educators who want to make their educational spaces LGBT+ inclusive.
The book combines academic theory and the lived experiences of our guests to explore ten key themes. Each chapter explores one of these themes, providing the knowledge, language and strategies that schools need to make their educational spaces inclusive for all.
In 1984, a small group of metropolitan homosexual men and lesbian women stepped away from the vibrant culture and hedonism of London’s defiant gay scene to befriend and support the beleaguered villages of a very traditional mining community in the remote valleys of South Wales.
They did so in the midst of the 1984 miners’ strike – the most bitter and divisive dispute for more than half a century, and in one of the most turbulent periods in modern British history.
In the 1980s Margaret Thatcher’s hardcore social and fiscal policies devastated Britain’s traditional industries, and at the same time, AIDS began to claim lives across the nation. At the very height of this perfect storm, as the government and police battled ‘the enemy within’ in communities across the land and newspapers whipped up fear of the gay ‘perverts’ who were supposedly responsible for inflicting this lethal new pestilence upon the entire population, two groups who ostensibly had nothing in common – miners and homosexuals – unexpectedly made a stand together and forged a lasting friendship.
It was an alliance which helped keep an entire valley clothed and fed during the darkest months of the strike. It led directly to a long-overdue acceptance by trade unions and the Labour Party that homosexual equality was a cause to be championed.
Pride tells the inspiring true story of how two very different communities – each struggling to overcome its bitter internal arguments and long-established fault lines, as well as facing the power of a hostile government and press – found common cause against overwhelming odds. And how this one simple but unlikely act of friendship would, in time, help change life in Britain – forever.
Discover the rich and complex history of LGBTQ+ people around the world – their struggles, triumphs, and cultural contributions.
Exploring and explaining the most important ideas and events in LGBTQ+ history and culture, this book showcases the breadth of the LGBTQ+ experience. This diverse, global account explores the most important moments, movements, and phenomena, from the first known lesbian love poetry of Sappho to Kinsey’s modern sexuality studies, and features biographies of key figures from Anne Lister to Audre Lorde.
Dive deep into the pages of The LGBTQ + History book to discover:
– Thought-provoking graphics and flow-charts demystify the central concepts behind key moments in LGBTQ+ history, from eromenos and erastes in the Ancient World to political lesbianism.
– Features insightful quotes from leading historians, philosophers, cultural commentators, economists, anthropologists, sociologists, activists, and politicians.
– Includes biography boxes and directory entries on the lives of important but lesser-known individuals, alongside well-known names including Sappho, Oscar Wilde, Anne Lister, Harvey Milk, and Marsha P. Johnson.
– Global in scope with a localizable directory.
The LGBTQ+ History Book celebrates the victories and untold triumphs of LGBTQ+ people throughout history, such as the Stonewall Riots and first gender affirmation surgeries, as well as commemorating moments of tragedy and persecution, from the Renaissance Italian “Night Police” to the 20th century “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy. The book also includes major cultural cornerstones – the secret language of polari, Black and Latine ballroom culture, and the many flags of the community – and the history of LGBTQ+ spaces, from 18th-century “molly houses” to modern “gaybourhoods”.
For more detailed information and resources, you can visit the official websites of LGBT+ History Month.
Join us at WeAreTheCity in celebrating LGBT+ History Month. Not just this month but every day of the year.
