Celebrating LGBT+ History Month

February marks LGBT+ History Month and this year celebrates 50 years of Pride – 50 years since the first Pride event in the UK. It is interesting to think what the world will be like in another 50 years, which will be 2072! So, here’s to working together towards an even more accepting society in the future.

The celebrate the occasion, we have put together some information and resources that you may enjoy reading through. We are so proud that our learners are so willing to broaden their horizons and learn about new topics.

We even have an exciting course coming up soon!

LGBT+ History

This course looks at history through a queer lens to reveal the experience of the gradual emancipation and acceptance of the LGBT+ community and its fight for rights and equality.

• Date: Wednesday 8^th June until Wednesday 6^th July 2022
• Time: 1:30pm-3.30pm
• Venue: Leicester Adult Education College (LE1 6QL)
• Price: £20
• Course Code: HISLIT131

We will be looking at key figures and aspects of queer culture, from the Stonewall riots to Alan Turing and the ways in which the LGBT community was able to remain alive and well as a subculture in days it was not accepted openly.

Modern legal changes will be looked at, including the revoking of Section 28 and the introduction of civil partnerships and marriages for same sex couples.  Contemporary trans issues will be discussed and contrasted to how things were in the past for trans individuals.  Media representations of the LGBT+ community will be a part of this course and the ways in which audiences react and how this has changed through time.

LGBT+ in Society

For as long as there have been people, there have been those who have been attracted to others of the same gender, or both genders, or neither. Refer to LGBT+ people in anything other than modern history however, you will see minimal examples of people being recognised and/or accepted as “gay”.

A recent ONS report shows, “An estimated 1.4 million people aged 16 and over in the UK identified as lesbian, gay or bisexual (LGB) in 2019 - a statistically significant increase from 1.2 million in 2018 - continuing the trend we have seen over recent years.” (Source)

It seems statistically unlikely that this jump and upwards trend is because more people are LGBT+ than ever before, rather, this figure shows more about LGBT+ people feeling more able to be open about their sexuality, to be recognised and protected by law, within a society where a person’s sexuality has become more accepted.

LGBT+ history month is a chance to look back to times where LGBT+ people, their lives, their achievements, their stories, went unnoticed, were hidden, often due to persecution and hate; and to celebrate, with greater understanding, the richness and diversity of LGBT+ people across the ages.

Below are some links that are a great introduction to learn more about LGBT+ history. Keep reading past these links for some information about LGBT+ in the workplace.

- LGBT+ History Month (lgbtplushistorymonth.co.uk)

Timeline of LGBT history in the United Kingdom - Wikipedia

The LGBT history you probably didn't learn in school - BBC News

In the workplace

There are still barriers to and in the workplace preventing LGBTQ+ people accessing jobs and careers. Stonewell’s 2018 report “LGBT in Britain: Work report”, (available to view here), shows some concerning statistics and evidence to suggest that even in the 21^st century, LGBTQ+ people are still faced with issues around recognition and acceptance, impacting on their career choice and opportunities, at times even preventing them from exercising their legal rights under the Equality Act 2010.

Employers in the UK are becoming more inclusive, some helpful advice on becoming more inclusive can be found here; however across the board there appears to be less acceptance of LGBT+ people in the workplace, leading many within the community to still live “hidden” lives within the workplace, to not be accepted or recognised for who they are and all they have to offer. Employers should take a lead, catch up with and keep pace with society, certainly if we are to have an inclusive, representative, and productive workforce in the future.