February is LGBT+ History Month

What is LGBT+ History all about? 

Taking place each year in February in the UK, LGBTQ+ History Month is a celebration of queer life and heritage, honouring those who have come before and looking forward to a future of freedom and self-expression. 

The overall aim of LGBT+ History month is to promote equality and diversity for the benefit of the public by 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. The goal is to ensure that the education system recognizes and enables LGBT+ people to achieve their full potential, so they can contribute fully to society and lead fulfilled lives, which is of course of benefit to society as a whole.

The charity was co-founded by Sue Sanders and Paul Patrick  in 2004. A couple of years later she developed The Classroom, the website that usualises LGBT issues and people across the curriculum for all ages, it currently has over 80 lesson plans and is growing, now in partnership with the Proud Trust.

The CEO, Tony Fenwick, who sadly died of cancer in July 2020, joined Schools OUT (now Schools OUT United Kingdom) in 1995  before eventually getting to run the show. When he wasn’t doing that he taught in Hertfordshire.

Steve Boyce, who stepped down as Chair of Trustees in October 2020, has been involved since the very earliest of days. Steve qualified as a teacher in 1989 from the University of Leicester and worked for many years in inner city Primary schools; becoming a very successful Head Teacher.

LGBT+ History Month 2022 

This year Art is the theme of the month and 5 artists have been chosen to represent the L,G,B,T and ‘+’ of the community. Each artist used their talents to express their orientation. The Five Faces for 2022 are Keith Haring who’s dancing figures were used to draw attention to the growing AIDS crisis of the early 1980s. Doris Brabham Hatt and Fiore de Henriquez who both fought against fascism in the 1930s. Jean-Michel Basquiat who began as a graffiti artist and Mark Aguhar with life “and mere existence was an act of confronting white hegemony”

How To Celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month In London

These are the best queer events happening in London during February 2022

The Discobolus, The British Museum

The Museum of London is always a wonderful place to  visit, tracking the changing city from the first settlers to the modern day. Throughout LGBTQ+ History Month there are guided tours through the galleries where you will be able to uncover the hidden stories of the queer city, from the earliest days of the Roman occupation to modern Pride celebrations.

Where: Museum of London, 150 London Wall, Barbican, London EC2Y 5HN

When: every Saturday in February

Website: museumoflondon.org.uk

Price: free

 ‘Queer London’ and Islington’s LGBTQ History

Join this free talk from the comfort of your own living room to hear about the evolution of Islington’s queer scene, with journalist and author Alim Kheraj who wrote the book documenting London’s queer history and spaces, from pubs and clubs to community centres. If it inspires you to get out and explore the borough, heritage group Islington’s Pride has an interactive map of queer spaces past and present for you to discover.

Where: online

When: Thursday 24 February, 6pm

Website: eventbrite.com

Price: free, but registration required

Out and About! Exhibition at the Barbican

Bishopsgate Institute stage a take-over of The Curve at the Barbican with an archive installation of objects, ephemera and media highlighting 40 moments and stories in London’s LGBTQ+ history.

You will find a number of  items from the archives on display in the Barbican Curve Gallery for a limited time during February and March.

Where: Barbican Center, Silk Street, London EC2Y 8DS

When: Monday 28 February-Monday 21 March

Website: barbican.org

Price: free

Desire, Love, Identity – An LGBTQ Tour of the British Museum

To celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month, the British Museum is inviting visitors to take a closer look at some of the objects in its collection. Spanning everything from marble busts of a Roman emperor’s lover to a decorated water-jar honouring the most famous of Greek lesbian poets, Sappho, the trail showcases artefacts of queer life and identity across cultures and historical periods. Alternatively, you can follow the self-guided tour (available on the website, with audio commentary) and take in a trail of either three or fifteen objects at your leisure.

Where: The British Museum, Great Russell St, London, WC1B 3DG

When: various dates throughout February

Website: britishmuseum.org

Price: free, but booking essential

Crafting Ourselves - Courtauld LGBTQIA+ Society & Ugly Duck

From making and distributing independent zines to projects such as the AIDS Memorial Quilt, crafting has long played an important role in the LGBTQ+ community. Hosted by the Courtauld Institute of Art’s LGBTQIA+ Society in collaboration with Ugly Duck, a society that repurposes London’s disused buildings into arts and events spaces, this exhibition examines the importance of crafting in the formation of queer identities. Head to this old Victorian warehouse to browse ceramics, beadwork and textiles from a selection of rising queer artists.

Where: 47-49 Tanner St, London SE1 3PL

When: Friday 18 February-Sunday 20 February

Website: uglyduck.org.uk

Price: free

Book A Tour of Soho’s Queer Venues

Book tickets to the next Queer History Tour. It’s a 75 minute walking tour of Soho, led by performer and activist Dan de la Motte, where you discover the hidden Queer history of the night-time spaces in this area; the bars and clubs that operated in the years before decriminalisation, often right under the police's nose. Learn about Soho's leading lesbian power-couple, 'the cult of the clitoris', police entrapment and raids, Polari (the secret gay code) and incredible and inspiring stories of queer people standing up to oppression and their oppressors.  Afterwards, grab a drink at one of the historic venues you discover along the way!

Where: Soho Square, London, W1D 3QN (meet outside the cottage)

When: The next tour is on Saturday 12 March, 3pm

Website: outsavvy.com

Price: £10

LGBT+ History Month: Zine Making with Rachael House

To celebrate LGBT+ History Month, Islington's Pride is presenting a series of creative activities that explore Politics in Art. No better than a structured zine-workshop by acclaimed artist and creator Rachael House.

Rachael is an artist who makes events, objects, performance, drawings and zines. Her first book, Resistance Sustenance Protection, was published in 2021. Rachael’s work focuses on feminist and queer politics and resistant histories/herstories. At the end of this structured workshop each participant will have made a one-off minizine about identity. Zines are a way for us to make our voices heard, to build communities, and lo-fi social networking. No experience necessary, materials provided. No drop-ins permitted, participants should be ready for a full 2 hours of zine making fun!

Where: Islington Museum, 245 Saint John Street, London, EC1V 4NB 

When: Sat, 26 February 2022, 14:15 – 16:15 GMT

 Website: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/lgbt-history-month-zine-making-with-rachael-house-tickets-240122913097?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

Price: £10

A Dash of Lavender: Celebrating LGBTQ+ History Month with Queer Botany x Chelsea Physic Garden

This February, Chelsea Physic Garden is teaming up with Queer Botany to look at plants and the Garden through a queer botanical lens for LGBTQ+ History Month. Queer Botany aims to share marginalised perspectives, support more diverse representations in the environment and outdoors, and affirm connections between queerness and plants.

Where: 66 Hospital Road London, SW3 4HS

When: Sunday 20 February 2022, 11am–1pm. Friday 25 February 2022, 7pm - 8:45pm

Website: https://www.chelseaphysicgarden.co.uk/visit/whats-on/a-dash-of-lavender-lgbtq-month-at-chelsea-physic-garden/

Price: £9.50/£10

Greenwich's National Maritime Museum, Out at Sea 

This is a free, day-long festival celebrating queer maritime history through time. With workshops, storytelling, and a special tour of the museum, it's fun for all the family. The museum is hosting various other events for LGBT+ History Month, including the annual queer takeover of the Queen's House.

 Out at Sea, National Maritime Museum (Greenwich), free, book ahead, 19 Februar

Where: National Maritime Museum

When: 19 February, 11am - 4pm

Website: www.rmg.co.uk/whats-on/national-maritime-museum/out-sea

Price: free 

V&A Trail: Out In The Museum

Specialising in art, design and performance, the Victoria & Albert is one of London’s best museums — with a permanent collection of more than 2.3 million objects.

The V&A offers a range of LGBTQ-focused events and activities throughout the year, including gallery talks, film screenings and artist performances.

On the last Saturday of the month there’s an opportunity to join a one hour tour which explores gender and sexual identities through a selection of objects and collections.

Selected by the LGBTQ Working Group and LGBTQ Volunteer Tour Guides, the objects in reveal stories of diverse gender and sexual identities across time, place and culture. 

The trail starts in the Buddhism Gallery, Room 18

Where: Victoria and Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 2RL

When: The last Saturday of every month

Website: www.vam.ac.uk/info/lgbtq

If you do something to support and celebrate LGBT+ this month we’d love to hear about it in the comments below.

Happy Friday from the London Living editorial team

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