Tuesday 11-02-2025 - 09:11

By Lia Holroyd, LGBT+ Network lead

February is the worldwide month of celebrating LGBTQ+ History, and the SU prides ourselves on its inclusivity. As the LGBTQ+ Network lead, I am hosting a variety of events to celebrate, and here’s why.  

Did you know… Huddersfield hosted the first pride march outside of London in 1982. Huddersfield had one of the most popular gay bars in the North of England, the Gemini Club, which was targeted by police in a bid to shut it down. The Campaign for Homosexual Equality (CHE) decided to move the annual gay pride march to Huddersfield instead of London in a brave show of defiance. The march ended with a party at the polytechnic!

LGBTQ+ History month is crucial to remember the people who fought for queer rights, and to teach younger generations of LGBTQ+ people how rich and meaningful their history is. Every year the founding organisation, Schools OUT, creates a new theme for the month. This month, its activism and social change, and there’s still a long way to go.

Harmful conversion therapy remains legal and accessible, and transgender individuals are at serious risk of being left out of crucial government legislation. The current LGBTQ+ climate is scary, and our rights are being called into question – rights we’ve only just gained. At times like this, we must remember how and why we fought for inclusion, and who, in particular, lead the fight for our rights.

 

So, what exactly has been achieved in the last 50 years?

1967: sex between men over 21 is decriminalised.

1994: the age of consent between two male partners is lowered to 18.

2000: the ban on gay and bisexual people serving in the armed forces is lifted.

2000: the age of consent is equalised for same-sex and opposite-gender partners at 16.

2002: same-sex couples are given equal rights when it comes to adoption.

2004: a law allowing civil partnerships is passed.

2007: discrimination based on sexual orientation is banned.

2010: gender reassignment is added as a protected characteristic in equality legislation.

2014: gay marriage becomes legal in Scotland, England and Wales.

The LGBTQ+ community is built on historical figures. Queer people have always been here, in every time period and culture, and by sharing historical facts, we can spread the message that queer people are not going anywhere, and that we existed even when we were illegal.

 

Key historical LGBTQ+ people:

Marsha P. Johnson was a black trans activist who spent much of her life fighting for inclusion and equality. Fellow drag queens, trans women and homeless youth considered her a mother figure, and she was a key figure during the Stonewall riots, as well as the founder of S.T.A.R.

Josephine Baker was one of the most successful African-American performers in French history, a bisexual woman who used her entertainment platform to advocate for the end of segregation. She was even a spy during World War Two, and performed for German soldiers to learn their secrets!

Ifti Nasim was a gay poet from Pakistan, who fled his country to avoid persecution for his sexuality. He wrote a collection of poems called Narman, which is considered to be the first LGBTQ+ poetry book written and published in Urdu. In 1996, he was indicted into the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame.

These people fought for our rights, and we must fight to keep them.

To encourage the search for historical knowledge and in celebration of LGBTQ+ history month, the LGBT+ Network is hosting several events over the month.

Here’s everything on our schedule:

12th Feb: promoting queer businesses! In collaboration with Anvil Inc., a queer-owned clothing business. Held on student central floor 4.

12th Feb: Sexual Health and Guidance support fair, held in the Central Lounge in Student Central.

19th Feb: Trans inclusion stall in student central, floor 4.

22nd Feb: Trip to York Travellers Trust, a creative transgender and non-binary exhibition, followed by some free time in the city.

28th Feb: History month celebration with Kirklees Council, including stalls from the network, Change Grow Live, and the Brunswick Centre.

28th Feb: LGBT+ Social night with the SU to end the month right!

For further details, and to book tickets, visit the SU website. https://www.huddersfieldsu.co.uk/