As your VP Wellbeing and Diversity, I wanted to talk about LGBT+ history month now that it’s come to an end. We care about LGBT+ people, rights, and freedom every day of the year; but during this month, we have a chance to reflect on the history of those LGBT+ people who came before us. 

LGBT+ History Month is an annual celebration that provides education and insight into the issues faced by the LGBT+ community and works to combat prejudice against them, it takes place each February in the UK. This year’s theme was Under The Scope: LGBT+ people in medicine. 

It was about celebrating LGBT+ peoples’ contribution to the field of Medicine and Healthcare both historically and today. Whilst still shining a light on the history of the LGBT+ community’s experience of receiving healthcare which has been extremely complicated leaving LGBT+ people still facing health inequalities even today. 

LGBT+ History is often hidden within our society, culture and institutions due to homophobic and transphobic laws of the past as well as discriminatory and prejudiced attitudes today and so we need to uncover and celebrate LGBT+ history whenever we can as the better we understand our past, the brighter our future. It is thanks to brave queer people in the LGBT civil rights movement, particularly trans women and queer people of colour, that we have many of the rights we take for granted today and LGBT+ History Month is our opportunity to shine a light on those stories and celebrate their legacy. 

To celebrate, we hosted and signposted to many fantastic events across the city and the country! 

Online we had the LGBTQ+ History Month – Authentic Leaders conference; the LGBT+ Awareness Training; LGBTQ+ Histories Amplified: Reclaiming Queer History webinar; and the LGBT+ Victims of Domestic Abuse virtual learning event.

In the local community, Queer District Collective hosted two art exhibits by local artists Devon Tipping and Ashanti Hare; and Queer Out Loud hosted a Neurodivergent Poetry Night at Minerva cafe. 

The Theatre Royal hosted a Pride pop-up drop in with Pride in Plymouth; In Conversation: The Importance and power of Community Archives; Queer Voices Platform in The Drum; and Creme De La Creme Cabaret. 

There was an Open Mic Night for underrepresented genders at The Nowhere Inn; a Queer Cafe at Leadworks; and the  Heartbreak gala Drag Show with local drag queens Ziggy Cigar, Hell-O-Weenie, Noodlez, and Monique Hunt.

Plymouth Arts Cinema showcased The Best of Iris 2023 and Falling in love with Iris 2023; and continuing the LGBT+ movie screening, the University of Plymouth LGBT+ Network hosted a showing of Pride in the Jill Craigie Cinema. 

Here at the SU, I hosted a Museum Trip to The Box LGBT+ exhibit with Queer District Collective and co-hosted a Queer Poetry Night in the Lounge with Queer Out Loud as your VP Wellbeing and Diversity.

Photos from the SU Museum Trip to The Box LGBT+ exhibit:

As always, the highlight our month was the LGBT+ History month fair in the SU, with some of our fantastic Societies such as LGBT+ Society and Pole Dance; as well as externals Queer out Loud, Queer District Collective, and resources from Eddystone Trust, Harbour, and The Zone.

Photos from the LGBT+ History Month Fair in the SU:

A massive thank you to everyone involved in the month. If you’d like to be involved in any future LGBT+ events, such as Trans Day of Visibility or Pride Month, please contact VP Wellbeing  and Diversity or LGBT+ Society: vpwellbeinganddiversity@su.plymouth.ac.uk

Please find below some resources available all year round:

LGBT+ Inclusion!

Discrimination and harassment on the grounds of sexual orientation or transgender status are unacceptable and not tolerated at the University of Plymouth. We aim to create an environment that welcomes all and celebrates everyone for who they are. You can report hate crime through the Speak Up page here.

Inclusion at the University

The University is a proud Stonewall Diversity Champion and sponsor Plymouth Pride in August every year . As well as this they can offer practical support and guidance to all LGBT+ staff and students. You can find out more about inclusion at the university here.

The LGBT+ Toolkit!

The Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Team and University Staff Networks have created a number of Toolkits containing a range of resources selected by staff and students to support anyone in our community wanting to know more about a range of equality, diversity and inclusion topics.   

The LGBT+ Toolkit provides a range of support, guidance, and information for the LGBT+ community and allies including understanding the terminology, LGBT+ history, local community groups and a huge range of resources and is available to all staff members.   

Find the LGBT+ Toolkit here.