LGBTQIA+ is an abbreviation for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, asexual, and more.
LGBT+ History Month is an annual celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and non-binary history. It recognises the history of LGBT+ rights and related civil rights movements and is celebrated in February every year in the United Kingdom to correspond with the 2003 abolition of Section 28.
Section 28 was part of the Local Government Act 1988, which stated that a local authority “shall not intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality” or “promote the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship”. It meant that teachers and school staff were scared to talk about same-sex relationships, and they were not discussed in PSHE lessons.
Remember how we got rights
Being in a same-sex relationship was decriminalised in the UK in 1967; this is still recent enough to be in the minds of many citizens. The fight to get there was very difficult, and the journey to full equality since then has been slow, which is why it’s so important to take every opportunity to recognise and celebrate LGBT+ people.
Today
Over 1.5 million LGBTQ+ people live in England and Wales today. This figure is known because – for the first time in over 200 years – the latest census included LGBT+ people. The census is a national survey that takes place every ten years. It gives us a picture of all the people and households in England and Wales.
More and more people have been open to learning about the LGBTQ+ community and their lives, helping to change people’s attitudes. In the last few decades, we have all seen an increase in social acceptance of people in gay, lesbian and bi relationships. This acceptance has also seen a steady rise in the population identifying as lesbian, bi, gay or trans. The Rainbow Britain report, commissioned by LGBT+ charity Stonewall, shows evidence of this movement.
Remember those without rights
There are still 73 states in the world that criminalise “private, consensual, same-sex sexual activity”, according to Human Dignity Trust. 331 trans and gender-diverse people were murdered in 2019, according to the group Trans respect. We must keep fighting for equal rights and raise awareness to educate people about LGBTQ+ rights and issues.
LGBT+ history month 2024
This year’s LGBT+ History month theme is ‘Medicine – #UnderTheScope’ and celebrates LGBT+ peoples’ contribution to the field of Medicine and Healthcare both historically and today. It aims to celebrate the amazing work of LGBT+ staff across the NHS and in other healthcare settings, in providing healthcare, especially during the pandemic. It also hopes to highlight 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. 
Written by Natasha Dawe School Nurse
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