LGBTQ+ History Month 2021 Events, Information & Resources

LGBTQ+ History Month 2021
Events, Information & Resources

Knowledge is power and with this month being LGBTQ+ History Month we want to
highlight the various resources and fantastic content that celebrates and educates
LGBTQ+ History Month. In partnership with our friends at Outhouse East Colchester &
Colchester Pride we’ve highlighted various opportunities, information & resources for
students, teachers, businesses & home-schooling parents.

Why Do We Celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride?
What is LGBTQ+ Pride?
Pride events take place every year to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community both locally
and around the world. Most towns and cities now have some form of Pride event, which
are often made up of parades and festivals. Pride is an opportunity for people from the
LGBTQ+ community, plus their allies, to come together to celebrate but also to be
visible. Pride started as a protest, and in a world where prejudice against LGBTQ+
people still exists, that element is still very important in modern Pride events.
Often Pride events will take place in June, which is recognised as Pride month to
honour the Stonewall Riots.

The Stonewall Riots
The Stonewall Riots were a series of demonstrations by members of the LGBTQ+
community in response to a police raid of the Stonewall Inn in Manhattan which took
place in the early hours of 28th June 1969. Raids like this were not uncommon, but on
this occasion the community decided to fight back when the police became violent
towards them. The demonstrations lasted a few days and are now considered to be
one of the key moments in the fight for LGBTQ+ equality.

"We all decided to break off the shackles of 2,000 years of oppression. That night the
police represented that oppression of religion, family, church, every single thing in
society that hated us. - Mark Segal, Activist who was 18 years old at the time of the
riots

Pride Today
Pride events now happen worldwide as a way of celebrating, but also to help continue
the fight against LGBTQ+ prejudice. Prides are usually very colourful, fun and
entertaining, but at their heart they are still a protest. Whilst things are certainly better,
particularly in the UK, there is still a lot of inequality for LGBTQ+ people around the
world. In many countries, people face prison or even the death penalty for being
LGBTQ+, so there is still a lot of work to do to ensure people are accepted for who they
are and for who they love.

Pride events give the community and opportunity to come together to celebrate, but
also to help educate people about the issues faced by LGBTQ+ people. It is important
to be visible, to show strength and unity, and above all to show that we can all work
together to create a society based on friendship, respect and love.

In Colchester, we have our own Pride events. Colchester Pride is a charity that works
throughout the year to provide opportunities to the local community, and holds a big
Pride festival every year, usually in June.

Why Does Pride Matter?
We asked some people from the LGBTQ+ community why Pride matters to them. This is
what they told us:

‘Pride is such an important celebration and protest to continue the visibility of all the
LGBTQIA+ family. We stand together in joy and in the name of progress to make our
voices heard for a better tomorrow.’

‘Pride is about being yourself and showing the world who you are. It is about giving
each other the strength and support to live our lives honestly and without fear. Pride
matters to me because it is founded on friendship, community and love.’

‘Pride matters because it means an opportunity to connect with other LGBTQ+
individuals , with a sense of pride for who we are, and with the history of our
community that must always be honoured and never forgotten.’

The last 20 years in LGBTQ+ History
2001 – The Age of Consent Equality came into effect in England, Scotland and Wales
but it wasn’t until 8 years later Northern Ireland would join the remaining home nations.

2003 – Section 28 which was introduced under Margaret Thatcher’s government in
1988 and then repealed in 2003 with Prime Minister David Cameron apologised for the
legislation in 2009.

2004 – In 2004 the Civil Partnership Act 2004 allowed same-sex couples to legally
enter into binding partnerships.

2004/05 - The Gender Recognition Act 2004 came into affect on the 4th of April
2005. Giving trans people full legal recognition of their gender, allowing them to
acquire a new birth certificate though gender options still remaining limited to ‘male’
or ‘female.’

2010 – The Equality Act 2010 gave LGBT employees protections from discrimination,
harassment and victimisation at work. It also brought together existing legislation and

added protection to trans workers, solidifying rights granted by the Gender
Recognition Act.

2013 – The Marriage (same-sex couples) Act was brought in allowing same-sex
couples in England & Wales to marry. Scotland followed in 2014 and Northern Ireland
legalising same-sex marriage on 13th January 2020.

2017 – The ‘Alan Turing Law’ The Policing and Crime Act 2017 pardoned all historic
instances of criminal convictions of gross indecency against men. Now known as the
‘Alan Turing Law’ the act applies to convictions only in England & Wales.

The LGBTQ+ Community continues to fight for the equality and social acceptance.

Teaching Resources
Stonewall Learning Packs
Home Learning Resource Packs from Stonewall on LGBTQ+ History

Primary :
https://www.stonewall.org.uk/system/files/lgbt_history_home_learning_pack_-
_primary.pdf

Secondary :
https://www.stonewall.org.uk/system/files/lgbt_history_home_learning_pack_second
ary.pdf

SEND :
https://www.stonewall.org.uk/system/files/lgbt_history_home_learning_pack_send_2
020.pdf

Services From OutHouse East Colchester

COUNSELLING SERVICE
We continue to offer low-cost therapeutic support to our existing clients either online
or by telephone but also have spaces available for anyone struggling at this complex
time.
Our counselling team have all completed the relevant training to offer a safe,
confidential, and non-judgmental space for you to share anything impacting your
mental health.
Please contact sam.watson@outhouseeast.org.ukfor further information.

LGBTQ+ AWARENESS TRAINING
We are pleased to announce that our LGBTQ+ Awareness webinars can now be
accessed through Eventbrite, as we continue to add all such events onto this platform.
Both Module 1: 'An Introduction to LGBTQ+' and Module 2: 'Breaking Down LGBTQ+
Barriers' are available.

Please contact us at lgbtawareness@outhouseeast.org.uk or follow this link to find out
more - An introduction to LGBTQ+ Tickets, Multiple Dates | Eventbrite Though the
courses are currently free of charge for not-for-profit organisations, there is also an
option to donate to The OutHouse to help continue support for our community.

YOUTH PROJECT – COLCHESTER
LGBTQ+ Youth Group – held weekly for 13–18-year-olds who identify as LGBTQ+

LGBTQ+ Youth Group Juniors – held monthly for 11- and 12-year-olds who identify as
LGBTQ+

Trans+ Youth – held monthly for 13–19-year-olds who identify as Trans, Non-binary,
Gender non-conforming.

TransParents Support Group – held monthly for parents and carers of children of any
age who identify as Trans, Non-binary, Gender non-conforming.

Please contact Fiona.gooch@outhouseeast.org.uk for information.

YOUTH PROJECT – Basildon
LGBTQ+ Youth Group – held weekly for 13–18-year-olds who identify as LGBTQ+

Please contact Helen.Jefferson@outhouseeast.org.uk for information.

SATURDAY DROP-IN
Weekly Social for members of the LGBTQ+ community age 18+.
Please contact info@outhouseeast.org.uk information.

TRANS SOCIAL
Monthly social for over 18’s
Please contact info@outhouseeast.org.uk for information.

WELLBEING PEER AND SOCIAL SUPPORT SERVICE
Weekly 18+ LGBTQ+ Peer Support Group currently being run via zoom.
Please contact Helen.Jefferson@outhouseeast.org.uk for information.

Events at the Mercury
Connects
Thursday 18th February 2021

Free online event

Mercury Connects is an opportunity to invite a safe and welcoming online space for
communities and creative people to share ideas and promote work. We’ll be
welcoming our LGBTQ+ creative community lead by creative director Ryan McBryde
and Colchester Pride Chair Dan Teller-Thompson. We’ll also be offering our LGBTQ+
community to feed into future plans and LGBTQ+ visibility at the theatre. Guests will be
announced soon so keep an eye on our social media.

https://www.mercurytheatre.co.uk/event/connects-meet-lgbtq-creatives/

How To
Monday 22nd February 2021

Free online event

Our February How To will be a session on exploring ‘How To: Approach Queer
Performance stylistically.’ Led by Alice d'Lumiere (Writer, Performance Artist, Poet,
Comedienne and occasional Burlesque Dancer / Aerialist) & Leah Kirby (Actor, Writer
and Drag activist by the name of CYRO). Leah is recent Arts Council R&D recipient of
the project ‘Wings’ that’s currently in development. Alice plans to continue touring her
work and is currently the Lead Event Coordinator for Colchester Pride 2021. They will
be demonstrating their own work and various approaches to Queer performances
followed by a Q&A for our participants.

https://www.mercurytheatre.co.uk/event/how-to-approach-queer-performances/

LGBTQ+ History Month- Online Video Resources
Here is a selection of videos that you might find useful as information resources and
discussion points.

What Is LGBTQA+?

This short video discusses how the LGBTQ+ acronym is always changing to reflect
some of the lesser known identities on the spectrum

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBkk172l_hM

What do all the Pride flags mean?

There are now many different types of Pride flag to represent the various gender
identities and sexual orientations/romantic attractions on the LGBTQ+ spectrum. This
video shows a small handful of these.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLGChMc1ahE

Wanda Sykes Takes Us Through the History of LGBTQ+

Comedian Wanda Sykes narrates a brief history of LGBTQ+, though there is a focus on
gay identities rather than the full LGBTQ+ spectrum.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkzwDOCEDCo

Gender Identity and Pronouns

This short video explains the difference between biological sex and gender identity,
and discusses the use of pronouns

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3Fh60GEB5E

5 Non-Binary People Explain What “Non-Binary” Means To Them

In this video, 5 non-binary people talk about their identity and experiences. This video
does contain 2 references to anatomy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVe8wpmH_lU

What is it like being Intersex?

In this video, a group of young intersex people talk about their experiences.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAUDKEI4QKI

What does Intersex mean?

It is believed that Intersex people make up roughly 1.7% of the population. Here is a
video that explains what intersex means. This video does contain some discussions of
anatomy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_5l2fwWGco

What is Pansexuality?

In this video, a pansexual person explains what their sexuality is, and how pansexuality
differs from bisexuality.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GA9FuruwTdk

Gender and Sexuality Animation

A short animation exploring sexual orientation, romantic attraction and different
gender identities.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtYuUL3OdUY

Sexual Orientation: A Spectrum Of Attraction

This animation discusses the spectrum of sexuality and romantic attraction

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaDn_U8JRMM

The Science of Being Transgender

This video explains what being Transgender means

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MitqjSYtwrQ