What can I learn this LGBT History Month and where from?
Every February in the UK a spotlight is given to LGBTQ+ history. The history books, documentaries and curriculum that are used to teach us history when we are kids are full of straight history. You can be forgiven for thinking that LGBTQ+ people haven’t been around for long because of this. And this is why we need LGBT History Month.
OK, so what kind of things can I learn about?
There are so many parts of LGBTQ+ history that you can learn about. There are important figures in LGBTQ+ activism such as Martha P. Johnson who was key to Stonewall and the associated fights for equality. There are the stories of the normal LGBTQ+ people who experienced the emergence of HIV and AIDs - many of whom lost their lives. The people who were part of ballroom culture in the States. The experiences LGBTQ+ victims of crimes have with the police and the general public. The experiences of Black and brown people in the community.
The subject matter will differ depending on the medium, the creator and indeed the focus of the content you are viewing at the time.
The important thing being that you can learn about lots of different parts of LGBTQ+ history if you look in the right places!
If mainstream history typically ignores the LGBTQ+ community, how do I know where to go to learn about LGBTQ history?
History doesn’t have to be dry and boring like it was at school. We’re lucky to have more ways to share information and learn these days.
There are plenty of websites that host some great information on important figures in LGBTQ+ history. These can be best found using search engines as not all of them are completely dedicated to the LGBTQ+ community.
Then we have social media. It is not a great way to get your world news. It is, however, a fab for learning about things like LGBTQ+ history. On Instagram you can use hashtags such as #lgbthistorymonth and on Twitter there’s #LGBTHistoryMonth! that you can look at for some great nuggets of info and inspiration. The thing I like about using hashtags to learn about our history is that you can connect with other people while you’re doing it.
If video really is your thing, then you can use YouTube to watch shorter form videos. Like this one here - it's under 5 minutes, is narrated by Wanda Sykes and gives a quick breakdown of some of the key points in LGBTQ+ history. This is actually a great way to go down a wonderful rainbow coloured rabbithole because of the plethora of LGBTQ+ content on YouTube.
The TV and film studios are producing more content these days that shows the current and past lives of LGBTQ+ people, including some of the struggles that the community faces or has faced. So you absolutely can learn about LGBTQ+ history while flaked out in front of the TV! Some brilliant examples are It’s a Sin (Channel 4), Four Lives (BBC), Pose (Netflix) and Nilsen Files (BBC). If you haven’t seen any of these, I recommend watching them. They all deal with different aspects of life for the LGBTQ+ community in awesome ways. Things like this evoke much more emotion than some of the online and more text based sources do. Plus, you can always jump on social media to discuss the shows with others after you’ve watched them!
What do you recommend watching during LGBT History Month?
Please leave your recs in the comments as I’m always on the lookout for more things to watch :)
Master your emotions with Carole.
