Claiming our history, celebrating our present, creating our future. In 1974 a group of lesbian and Gay teachers came together to form a loose group called the Gay Teachers group it became national very fast. It was originally set up to be a social group to support L&G teachers who were not being supported by anyone if the got into difficulty in schools. Unions and Local Authorities were in the main of the opinion that it was not appropriate for L&G teachers to teach and certainly if found out deserved being suspended or sacked.

We became political very quickly when one of the members Ian Warburton was suspended by the ILEA. He was asked to sign a letter that stated that he would never come out again if asked by pupils He refused Many of us signed a petition saying we would not sign such a letter either Claiming our history, celebrating our present, creating our future.

During the 80’s we worked to build our links with local authorities and unions slowly building trust and working with the changing attitudes. Paul Patrick and I wrote articles and explored concepts 1988 section 28 hit us Claiming our history, celebrating our present, creating our future.

1987 Section 28 was mooted We worked tirelessly to challenge it Working in London with both the arts group with Ian McKellen, Michael Cashman and Julie Parker as well as the schools group We helped to provide background and information to the Lords who were supporting us Claiming our history, celebrating our present, creating our future.

We worked tirelessly both against the act and supported and trained teachers on how to counter homophobia and make LGBT people visible in education We began to develop powerful alliances with unions who were now organising for LGBT rights Claiming our history, celebrating our present, creating our future.

1998 supported Southwark Council produce the first Conference on Tackling Homophobia and Paul and I wrote the teachers toolkit on Tackling Homophobia Creating Safer Spaces (on both SO website and the Guardian’s Teacher Network site) Claiming our history, celebrating our present, creating our future.

We begin to work with the Criminal Justice system after the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry. I represent Schools OUT on LGBT Advisory Group to The Metropolitan Police Support the Crown Prosecution to produce guidance on prosecuting homophobic and transphobic crime and as a member of the Cross government group on hate crime Claiming our history, celebrating our present, creating our future.

2004 Labour talk of Equality Act and the Public Duty We decide to try and start LGBT History Month Claiming our history, celebrating our present, creating our future.

LGBT History Month UK November 2004 Funding from DfES December 2004 Launch of the website at Tate Modern It will be every February Started in UK 2005.

Why did Schools OUT do it? 1.To augment the curriculum of our schools and by that: change the culture of our schools in order to: make schools safe and comfortable places for all who use them provide an appropriate education for all our students

Why else? 2. To encourage LGBT people to move from survival to Celebration! & to give everyone the chance to learn more about the lives and achievements of LGBT people.

Claiming our history, celebrating our present, creating our future. Ensuring the month has credibility and status Providing a calendar for events to be advertised Provide LGBT history /information Provide LGBT images for everyone to use Suggestion for events Website to Enable Groups to set up their own events by

Why is History so important? It is only from history that we learn who we were. It is only by understanding our histories that we can fully exploit our lives in the here and now. It is only by understanding our histories that we can properly work to create our futures.

Claiming our history, celebrating our present, creating our future. Receptions at: Manchester Town Hall; House of Commons; Edinburgh Castle.

Claiming our history, celebrating our present, creating our future. Over 100 events were organised nationally in the name of LGBT History Month. Details of each event were made available on the calendar on our website. They celebrated and included the diversity of our community Over 50,000 hits on website during February alone!

Claiming our history, celebrating our present, creating our future. Publicised and promoted through links to a wide range of other websites Putting LGBT History Month UK into a search engine elicits over 1,400 responses. March 2004 Publicised and promoted through weekly e- mailings to over 500 individuals. Mailing list will continue to run approximately once every six weeks

Claiming our history, celebrating our present, creating our future. Who organised Events? LGBT groups. Libraries. Cinemas – including the British Film Institute! Museums. Art Galleries. Churches. Workplaces. The Police. Trades Unions. Councils And many, many more…….

Claiming our history, celebrating our present, creating our future. Schools and Colleges who provided Specific Lessons: on The Nature of Oppression. Shakespeare’s sonnets. The Holocaust. Assemblies. Displays. Drama productions and debates!

Claiming our history, celebrating our present, creating our future. Schools OUT and Amnesty International provided Lesson suggestions for all key stages Assembly templates General information on how to tackle homophobia List of many resources

Claiming our history, celebrating our present, creating our future. New website Report on last years success Last years calendar More images More history More links

Pre-Launch for 2006 Sponsored by the Metropolitan Police Service & The Metropolitan Police Authority.

At the Empress State Building

Speakers were: DAC Rose Fitzgerald – Diversity – MPS. Rictor Norton – Historian. Sarah Weir – Arts Council. Jeffrey Weeks – Historian. Kirsten Hearne – MPA. Persia West – Trans Trainer. Cyril Nri – Actor & Writer.

The Galop Plate Awarded to the organisation that hosts the Pre-Launch of LGBT History Month. Will your organisation be the next to receive the plate?

Pre-Launch for 2007 The night’s event was hosted by the Trade Union Congress, Amicus, NUSWT, NUT, Acord, Unison and UCU Ian McKellen joins Cyril Nri and Sarah Wier as a patron for LGBT History Month.

Pre-Launch for 2007 Speakers for the night were: Brendan Barber: TUC General Secretary Claire McNab: Press for Change Claire Anderson: NUS Hannaan Imaan Allan Horsfall: Veteran campaigner Anne Marriot: Scottish LGBT History Month Dennis Carney: Black Gay Men’s Advisory Group Peter Purton: TUC LGBT and Disability Officer Persia West: A Place at the Table Sir Ian McKellen: Actor Stella Duffy: Novelist.

February 2007 LGBT History Month celebrated in the mainstream and LGBT press Channel 4 led week of programming 15 Universities sponsored events Over 600 events took place nationally 1 Local Authority hosted events for every day of the month Over 25 events in Libraries and Museums Nearly 500,000 hits on the website

LGBT HM 2008

LGBT History Month Prelaunch 2008 At the Royal Courts of Justice

Pre-Launch for 2008 Speakers for the night were: Baroness Scotland Attorney General Barbara Follet Minister for Equality Dru Sharpling Chief Crown Prosecutor London Richard Kirker Director LGCM Rikki Beadle Blair writer and Director Elly Barnes teacher Stoke Newington School Prof. Stephen Whittle OBE Press for Change With The Diversity Choir

Launched the LGBT Health specific micro site, developed with the NHS, with a tool kit of how to do a Health LGBT History Month Event 2008

The Co Chair Paul Patrick Dies in May 2008

Labi Siffre, poet, songwriter and singer. Becomes a patron

LGBT History Month can now have the DCSF logo on its website

LGBT HM Pre Launch 2009 Sponsored by Department of Children Schools and Family Hackney Free and Parochial Church of England School Stoke Newington High School

LGBT History Month Pre-Launch in School for the first time Hackney Free and Parochial Church of England School

Baroness Morgan Education Minister and students from Stoke Newington School

We Launch Two new Toolkits with our Partners Intercom Trust A tool kit for Schools to celebrate LGBT HM And A Tool kit for organisations and individuals that want to do an event for LGBT HM

Pre launch at British Museum Showcase of national professionals demonstrating how to celebrate LGBT History Month with youth in nursery, primary, secondary, university and youth club settings. Teachers Surgery Chance to ask questions of experts from the primary secondary and University sector.

Salford University 3 rd December First Northern Pre launch Vice Chancellor of Salford University Professor Martin Hall And Professor Sheila Rowbotham Speak at the first Northern Pre Launch

First Northern Pre Launch of LGBT History Month Join teachers and education professionals, civic leaders and Professor Martin Hall, Vice- Chancellor of Salford University, Professor Sheila Rowbotham, and Cllr Paul Murphy, Chairperson of Greater Manchester Police Authority for an evening of celebration, sharing and reflection

2011 and 2012 will be sports based for the run up to the Olympics Supporting LGBT people to enjoy and participate in sport as Players - amateurs and professionals Students and staff in educational settings Fans

Prime Minister Sends Message of Support for LGBT History Month 2011

Pre Launch at Ruby Stadium Twickenham

sports people come out this February Graeme Obree Flying Scotsman cyclist Anton Hysen Footballer Swedish PRE-LAUNCH of LGBT History Month 2012 at the Kia Oval Cricket Ground and Ovalhouse

2012

2013 MP Endorses LGBT History Month The Government has endorsed LGBT History Month 2013 and our decision to focus on STEM.MP Endorses LGBT History Month

Badges’ History Our badges have changed with each year, here is their history: 2006 Our basic logo

The Classroom aims to be an accessible space for teachers to locate a range of resources to make Lesbian Gay Bisexual Trans people visible in education. We believe that to eradicate homophobia and transphobia, the lives and contributions of LGBT people need to be visible throughout education. This can be done by delivering a broad and balanced curriculum. We passionately believe in diversity being celebrated in all its forms. Therefore, we present a simple but effective methodology to enable you to be an inclusive practitioner and promoter of equality and diversity.

Claiming our history, celebrating our present, creating our future. You won’t find this verb in the dictionary. It means to make usual/everyday/ubiquitous. ‘Normalise’ is its closest synonym. Why not say ‘normalise’ then?‘ Normalise is problematic when describing humans as it assumes there is a ‘right’ way of being and is therefore a pejorative term to many who consider themselves outside the majority. It also has connotations of ‘trying to fit in’ rather than embracing diversity. In what context is ‘usualise’ used? When we usualise something, we acclimatise people to its presence, and take away the threat of difference which creates fear and discrimination. Usualising in schools has more to do with familiarizing learners with a subject’s everyday occurrence or existence rather than an in-depth understanding of the subject. What does that look like when educating about LGBT? Learners should consistently be made aware of the presence of LGBT people. LGBT people are integral to our learner’s lives. They exist in all times and all places. They exist in the here and now; essential to the UK society and culture. Schools rightly do not only use white, Christian references in their curriculum, but a range of resources/artefacts/case studies of people across race and religion. Teachers should try to use materials that span a diversity of sexual orientation. In the context of the Classroom ‘usualising’ occurs when a teacher references Lesbian, Gay or Bisexual sexual orientation without inviting further comment.

Claiming our history, celebrating our present, creating our future.