There are plenty of reasons to celebrate this month with loved ones or wider causes. We’re going back to the start to recognise LGBT+ History Month and have a look at when it was created, who by and why it first began.
In more than one way, February is the month of love. Of course, we have the most obvious with Valentine’s Day on February 14, but it’s also Black History Month in the US and LGBT+ History Month in the UK.
When Was LGBT+ History Month Created?
A fairly recent awareness month, it was first celebrated in 2005 but was founded in 2004. It’s since been recognised every year since, with a different theme.
In 2023, LGBT+ History Month are using the hashtag, #BehindTheLens to look at the community’s contribution to cinema from behind the screen. This connects to how often LGBT+ stories are misinterpreted or reported on by the media, so the organisers are encouraging those to look behind the lens of that too.
Generally, the month is there to promote equality, which the organisers do through the following:
- Increasing the visibility of LGBT+ people in the curriculum and wider community.
- Raising awareness on matters concerning the community.
- Working to ensure education and workspaces are safe for LGBT+ people.
- Ensuring the educational system enables the community to achieve their potential and become valued members of society.
Although there seems more of a focus on curriculum-based education, there can still be issues in universities and other higher-education institutions.
Who Started It?
Schools Out, an educational charity founded LGBT+ History Month. The charity aim to make educational institutions a safe place for the LGBT+ community. The month is there to raise awareness for their cause, as well as highing LGBT invisibility in society.
Specifically, charity’s co-chairs Paul Patrick & Professor Emeritus Sue Sanders created the month. The intention is that although they are educational specific, LGBT+ History Month is for all in society.
The site provides free resources each year for schools and other institutions to use to bring awareness to the month and celebrate equality. This includes posters, badge designs and social media posts.
In recent years, LGBT+ History Month has collaborated with The British Library and the BBC.
If you’d like to support the charity and LGBT+ History Month then you can buy their merchandise. A rainbow lanyard, badge or glossary are available from their website.
As the campaign is all about education, you could always print off their free resources for your university. Let your student union know about your plans and get your flatmates involved with raising awareness.