February is here which means it is finally LGBT+ History Month in the UK. There are so many events taking place all over London this month, it would be impossible for me to mention them all in this one blog. Therefore, I have decided to focus solely on the LSE’s celebration of LGBT+ History Month. For starters, the first meeting of the UK Gay Liberation FRONT (GLF) actually took place in an LSE classroom, organized by an LSE student named Bob Mellors. In fact, the UK GLF recently celebrated their 50th anniversary in an online event which was attended by many members of the LSE community. To kick off LGBT+ History month celebrations, I recommend heading over to the LSE History blog and reading about LGBTQ+ history in the UK and at LSE. Two of my favourite blogs are:
1. The Black Lesbian and Gay Centre
2. Vera “Jack” Holme – one of the stars of the Women’s Library Collection
If your idea of a “celebration” is slightly less nerdy than reading history blogs, don’t worry, Spectrum, LSE’s LGBTQ+ network supporting and representing staff from lesbian, gay, bi, trans and all other minority sexual orientation and gender identities, has you covered! LSE’s BME staff network EMBRACE (Ethnic Minorities Broadening Racial Awareness & Cultural Exchange) is collaborating with Spectrum to host an online event titled ‘What is Intersectionality?: A Candid Conversation with LSE Staff on February 21st. The aim of this event is to frame what intersectionality means for LSE and its context. If you want to hear LSE staff share their ideas of intersectionality and their experiences in the LSE context with regard to intersectionality, register for this event here.
Finally, here is a great resource to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community from any part of the world. The Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion office has prepared a list of LGBT+ role models and idols from across the LSE community. These are people who are committed to championing the cause of inclusion at LSE by making their voice heard and by listening to the voices of others. These lists are only available to the members of the LSE community but there is no need to fret if you are not officially with us yet! There is also a directory of safe contacts at LSE and how they can help you report harassment or bullying.
At LSE, every day is a celebration of people from different backgrounds coming together and creating a community of scholars and a safe space for learning. Given the diversity of the student and staff body, celebrating LGBT+ history month is a great way to introduce inclusivity into the ethos of LSE. Moreover, it is also a great reminder of the vast resources from LGBT+ history available at LSE and an opportunity to highlight the historic role this institution has played in the LGBTQ movement in the UK.
