LGBT+ History Month is celebrated every February across the UK and was founded in 2004 by Schools OUT co-chairs, Paul Patrick & Professor Emeritus Sue Sanders. It was first celebrated in February 2005.
The events which take place throughout the month are delivered by community groups, schools, volunteers, activists, and organisations from the private, public, and third sectors. Anybody can take part, and everyone who decides to host an event, however big or small, whether online or in-person, helps to make LGBT History Month what it is.
The event came in the wake of the abolition of Section 28 in 2003, the Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003 as well as the government’s proposals to bring in a single equality act and a public duty, although this, in fact, did not come to fruition until 2010. The Month is intended as a means to raise awareness of, and combat prejudice against the LGBT community while celebrating its achievement and diversity and making it more visible. History Month has three taglines -‘Claiming our past. Celebrating our present. Creating our future’, in addition to the ‘Educate OUT Prejudice’ motto of parent charity Schools OUT UK
The first celebration in February 2005 saw the organisation of over 150 events around the UK.
The LGBT+ History Month 2023 #BehindTheLens celebrates LGBT+ peoples’ contribution to cinema and film from behind the lens. Directors, cinematographers, screenwriters, producers, animators, costume designers, special effects, make-up artists, lighting directors, musicians, choreographers, and beyond. For the events calendar click here
The LGBT+ History Month in United States, Canada, and Australia, it is celebrated in October to coincide with National Coming Out Day on 11 October and to commemorate the first and second marches on Washington in 1979 and 1987 for LGBT rights. In Berlin, it is known as Queer History Month and is celebrated in May.
*article completed from multiple sources
