What is LGBT+ History Month and why do we need it?
This month marks the 19th year that LGBT+ History Month has been celebrated across the UK. Founded by Schools Out, an educational charity created to work towards making schools safe spaces for all members of the LGBT+ community, it is a month in which untold or unacknowledged histories of LGBT+ people and communities are highlighted.
For many years, LGBT+ History was obscured from view by legislation such as Section 28. This month is an opportunity to bring these obscured stories to the fore and reshape how, as a society, we view our present and future based on this.
What is this year’s theme?
This year’s theme is Medicine – #UnderTheScope and is intended to highlight the work of LGBT+ medical professionals and the contributions that they have made. From pioneering female doctors such as Dr Sophia Jex-Blake and Dr Louisa Martindale who broke down barriers for women in the profession, to gender fluid mental health nurse George Ward (Cherry Valentine) who proudly represented their community on popular TV show Ru Paul’s Drag Race but returned to their medicine career during Covid, there are many individuals to learn about and celebrate .
This focus on LGBT+ medical professionals is especially important as, in 2021, the organisation STEM Women reported that LGBT+ people were underrepresented by as much as 20% in STEM jobs.
Our programme, Discover Maths, works with young people to show them real world application of maths in a range of jobs and we are proud to encourage all young people, not the least our LGBT+ young people, to see STEM jobs as a viable career path.
What events are happening in Bristol to mark it?
There are an array of events happening in the city which you can find at the below links.
LGBTQ+ History Month (bristol.gov.uk)
LGBTQ+ History Month 2024 | Bristol Museums
If you can’t get to events in person, there are plenty of things happening online (both Bristol-focused and nationally).
#LGBTplusHM #UnderTheScope
