Celebrating LGBT+ History Month 2023

2023 marks 20 years since Section 28, the law that banned the “promotion of homosexuality” in the UK, was repealed. This LGBT+ History Month is truly a historic one because, for the first time in over 200 years, the number of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and asexual people in England and Wales was recorded in the 2021 Census.

 

Since 2004, the year it was founded, LGBT+ History Month seeks to reclaim the past, celebrate the present, and create a future for LGBT+ people. It also seeks to eliminate prejudice through education. The 2021 Census recorded over 1.5 million LGBT+ identifying people living in the UK. That is an incredible ‘present’ to celebrate!

 

 

What is the theme for LGBT+ History Month 2023?

 

In 2023, the theme for LGBT+ History Month is #BehindTheLens. It seeks to promote LGBT+ peoples’ contribution to cinema and film. Schools OUT UK, the charity that founded LGBT+ History Month, are partnering with Rainer Schulze and The Cinema Museum to host five evenings of films by LGBT+ filmmakers.

 

 

Why should non-LGBT+ charities get involved?

 

LGBT+ History Month is for everyone. Showing allyship and support is important, and expressing solidarity with other charities has many benefits, including the sharing of knowledge and resources, improving overall reach, and raising awareness for your own cause.

 

 

But be mindful of virtue signalling

 

In the past, non-LGBT+ organisations and businesses have been called out for virtue signalling. For example, some have engaged only in Pride and LGBT+ History Month to demonstrate a perceived moral correctness or social conscience on the issue of LGBT+ Pride, usually with the added benefits that a quick, easy-win marketing campaign affords. Virtue signalling is particularly bad for charities as it can significantly damage their brand reputation.

 

Here we explore all the ways non-LGBT+ charities can get involved in LGBT+ History Month by demonstrating genuine allyship, support, and solidarity.

 

 

Shout about it on social media

 

Follow Schools OUT UK – the founders of LGBT+ History Month – on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and YouTube. Use the official hashtags: #LGBTHM23, #LGBTplusHM #educateOUTprejudice, and #BehindTheLens.

 

Schools OUT UK have a wealth of digital resources to support your campaign, from social media banners to Zoom and Microsoft Teams backgrounds.

 

 

Team up with an LGBT+ business or service

 

The benefits of corporate charity partnerships are well recorded and include benefits such as improved public visibility, enhanced fundraising power, and increased audience reach.

 

By partnering with an LGBT+ owned business, non-LGBT+ charities can show tangible support for the lesbian, gay, and bisexual + community.

 

Many charities will have team members or service users that identify as LGBT+. By promoting LGBT+ services, such as LGBTQIA+ mental health from Mind or providing and encouraging access to LGBT+ resources and information (see The British Library and Stonewall) charities can develop a more comprehensive understanding of the LGBT+ community and better help/support the service users that are a part of it.

 

 

Review your own policies  

 

Charities should consider reviewing their policies and protections for LGBT+ staff within their workforce. For example, are your policies on parental leave, adoption, and pensions LGBT+ inclusive? Is LGBT+ inclusion a core part of your Equality and Diversity policy?

 

Taking action to make your workspaces a safe space for LGBT+ colleagues, volunteers, donors, and supporters will create a more inclusive environment and improve workplace wellbeing.

 

 

What resources are available for non-LGBT+ charities?

 

There are a wealth of resources out there for non-LGBT+ charities to use and be inspired by.

 

 

Schools OUT UK

 

Every year Schools OUT UK provides free resources for schools, education services, businesses, and other organisations to help them celebrate LGBT+ history. From posters to lesson plans and other activities.

 

The Schools OUT UK archives are open and accessible to the public. Home to a vast collection of LGBT+ resources, including thousands of journals, books, banners, badges, t-shirts, photographs, oral histories, written personal accounts, and much more, this is a unique site of LGBT+ history in the UK.  

 

 

Stonewall

 

Designed for the classroom but useful in any space, Stonewall’s LGBT+ History Month resource hub is full of information and activities based on LGBT+ artists from around the world, including a list of LGBT+ inclusive books and history lessons.

 

Stonewall also hosts digital workshops focused on LGBT+ experiences.

 

 

Mermaids UK

 

Mermaids UK offers for both professional and educational organisations. Modules are CPD Accredited and, for education services, encompass everything you need to know for RSE trans inclusion.

 

 

The Proud Trust

 

Every year, The Proud Trust produces a simple, easy to use, education and resource pack for LGBT+ History Month.

 

 

LGBT Speakers Agency

 

The LGBT Speakers agency has a number of ideas on how to celebrate LGBT History Month, including information on how to hire an LGBT+ speaker to visit your organisation or event.

 

 

The Rainbow Flag Award

 

The Rainbow Flag Award is a national quality assurance framework for schools and youth associations. The award focuses on positive LGBT+ inclusion and visibility and provides training and services that are relevant to local communities and their individual needs.

 

For more information, inspiration, and resources, check out Charity Digital’s top LGBT+ charities here.