LGBT+ History Month

February is LGBT+ History Month. This year’s theme is ‘Politics In Art: The Art is Long’, focusing on LGBT+ art. The theme is inspired by Martin Luther King Jnr’s quote “The arc of the moral universe is long but it bends towards justice”. The quote is thought to mean that although it is taking a long time, we are curving/moving towards social justice and fairness.

Whilst we have come along way, there is still a great deal of work to be done, especially in terms of positive trans and non-binary representation and disabled LGBT+ inclusion.

The main aims of LGBT+ History Month are:

• Increasing the visibility of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (“LGBT+”) people, their history, lives and their experiences in the curriculum and culture of educational and other institutions, and the wider community;
• Raising awareness and advancing education on matters affecting the LGBT+ community;
• Working to make educational and other institutions safe spaces for all LGBT+ communities; and
• Promoting the welfare of LGBT+ people, by ensuring that the education system recognises and enables LGBT+ people to achieve their full potential, so they contribute fully to society and lead fulfilled lives, thus benefiting society as a whole.

We will be sharing stories from key LGBTQ+ icons linked to Advance’s values over the next few weeks to celebrate and support the month (including prominent LGBTQ+ disability and mental health figures) on our social media channels: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. 

These stories are important to highlight as Disabled LGBTQ+ historical figures stories have been long hidden from history, despite more than a third of LGBTQ+ people identifying as having a disability.