Rutland County Council Fly LGBT+ flag for LGBT+ History Month 2023
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LGBT+ History Month 2023 is a month-long, annual celebration and remembrance of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender history. The aims of the month are to promote two things: equality and diversity, and remember how changes have been made over the years about people's rights. It can also be a time to reflect on the future, thinking about what more can be done to promote inclusivity.
LGBT+ History Month began in the USA in 1994 as a result of Black History Month. It was started by a high school teacher named Rodney Wilson. While teaching about the Nazis, Wilson revealed to his class that he was gay and told them that this was something he could have been killed for.
2023. This year marks 20 years since Section 28, the law that banned “promotion of homosexuality” in the UK, was repealed. It was an attack on LGBTQ+ visibility
In 2023, the theme is 'Behind the Lens'. The theme for 2023 has been chosen to shine a light on all people who are instrumental in creating TV and film; highlighting the work of LGBTQ+ people in this field, both in the past and present. The theme is also linked to how LGBTQ+ lives are portrayed in the media versus the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ people.
In 1967, it was no longer illegal to be a gay man in England and Wales — the law didn't say anything about women being in relationships with other women. This is largely to do with the fact that it had been overlooked, so had never actually been outlawed. When there was talk of passing a law to ban women from being in lesbian relationships, there was fear that it'd actually promote it to more women. Because of this fear, lawmakers decided it was a better idea to keep quiet on the matter.
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1972 saw the first Pride rally in London, where around 2000 people took part.
1992 was a year when the World Health Organisation declassified 'same-sex attraction' as a mental disorder.
In 2003, ‘Section 28’ was repealed, meaning that it was no longer illegal to talk about LGBTQ+ issues positively in schools. In the same year, the Criminal Justice Act criminalised homophobic hate crime.
2010 was a year in which the LGBTQ+ community was given more rights at work; the Equality Act protected people against discrimination, regardless of their gender identity.
In 2013, same-sex couples were allowed to get married in England and Wales. The first weddings took place in 2014, the same day that the law came into place.
In 2021, the UK Census included questions about gender identity and sexual orientation for the first time, allowing data to be collected about the number of people within the LGBTQ+ community.
