LGBT+ History Month takes place every February and is held to recognise the huge strides that have been made towards equality over the years, whilst also promoting the need for a more accepting and inclusive future.
The annual event was founded by educational charity Schools OUT, which was once The Gay Teachers Association, following the abolition of Section 28 and has been held every year since 2005. Each year, the month-long recognition takes on a new theme focusing on a different aspect of LGBTQ+ life.
2023’s theme is ‘Behind the Lens’ and celebrates the LGBTQ+ people who have contributed to the history of cinema, film and television from legends of the ‘golden age’ of cinema like Marlene Dietrich and Rock Hudson to modern day icons like Heartstopper’s Yasmin Finney, Billy Porter and Elliot Page.
READ MORE: Map reveals the largest LGBTQ+ communities in Greater Manchester
To mark LGBT+ History Month, we’ve come up with a quiz that’ll test your knowledge on everything from the legalisation of same-sex marriage to the UK’s first openly gay professional footballer.
It's a chance to look back on some of the massive achievements made, while maybe also learning a thing or two at the same time.
You can try your luck on the quiz below.
To coincide with this year's theme, which 'celebrates the lives and accomplishments’ of LGBTQ+ people on screen, one of the UK’s largest LGBT+ youth charities The Proud Trust is working with secondary schools across the country to help classrooms share some of these achievements and a wider understanding of the LGBTQ+ community.
Through specially-created resources and worksheets, classes can learn about everything from the Kays Code to ‘gender norms’ in fashion, whilst also raising awareness of inclusivity and acceptance.
Speaking about this year’s event, The Proud Trust, which recently moved into a £2.4m golden building in Manchester's city centre, said: “LGBT+ History Month gives us a great opportunity to engage with all too often hidden LGBT+ histories by providing positive education about lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans lives.”
Lisa Harvey-Nebil, the Proud Trust’s CEO, added: “LGBT+ young people exist in every space where young people are, including classrooms.
“The opportunity that positive education during LGBT+ History Month provides is therefore twofold: to give young people the knowledge to understand and embrace the rich diversity of the world they live in, and for some, the words to describe their own experiences. The month is a great time to make visible the LGBT+ people who have been successful in a myriad of different professions for our young people.”
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