It has been nearly thirty years since LGBTQ+ History Month was founded in the US. In 1994, a teacher from Missouri came out to his history class, during a lesson about the Holocaust.

Rodney Wilson told his class that if he’d have lived in Germany during World War Two he would have likely been imprisoned and murdered because of his homosexuality.

His students were a range of emotions, either supportive, confused or neutral; it was some of the parents that had an issue with it. Mr Wilson said he even nearly lost his job because of his sexuality.

This inspired him to take action and set up a campaign, he didn’t want to be the only openly gay teacher. He wanted to spread awareness for the community.

During a time where the Internet wasn’t as widely established, he had to make phone calls, send out faxes and send letters through the post to gay and lesbian organisations, with details of his idea.

Mr Wilson said he received “many positive responses” from all these organisations willing to help him.

His first year of setting up the LGBTQ+ history month was incredibly successful, with many wanting to get involved.

So, how did it come to the UK and why here is it celebrated in February, rather than October like in the States?

Up until 2003 in England and Wales, and 2000 in Scotland, lied Section 28 in the UK Constitution:

(1)A local authority shall not—

(a)intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality;

(b)promote the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship.

This was introduced by Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative government in 1988 and was only repealed when Tony Blair came into action.

Once this law was abolished, Sue Sanders, a Professor from Kent, set up the LGBTQ+ history month UK. She set in February because October in the UK is Black History Month and February has a half term, meaning more people could attend the events and raise awareness.

Professor Sanders is also the Chair for Schools Out, an organisation set up in 1974 by a group of teachers within the LGBTQ+ community that were fighting for equality, who originally called themselves ‘Gay Teachers Group’. They wanted to raise more awareness for the community and also increase the amount of education around the LGBTQ+ community.

There were many historic figures taught about in schools whose sexuality was hidden despite not being heterosexual.

In 2014 Schools Out became a charity and the volunteers facilitate LGBTQ+ events and help organise and raise awareness.

LGBTQ+ history month UK offers resources, blog posts and a range of events to raise awareness. They hope to stop the fact that homosexual acts are still illegal in around 72 countries still.

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