LGBT+ history month is a yearly celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual trans, and non-binary history and civil rights. LGBT+ History Month originated in the US in 1994 but has been celebrated in the UK since 2005. It is celebrated in the UK every year in February to coincide with the 2003 abolition of Section 28 which was a Local Government Act that prohibited the promotion of homosexuality by local authorities.
So, why is LGBT+ history month important?
- To remember those without rights
- To remember and learn about LGTBT+ liberation movements
- To learn about those different from ourselves
- To celebrate LGBT+ people and their history
We, therefore, dedicate this week's blog, to celebrate current and past LGBT+ figures.
Harvey Milk
Harvey Milk (22nd May 1930 – 27th November 1978) was an American politician and visionary civil and human rights leader. He was the first openly gay person to be elected to public office in the US in 1977 and won a seat on the San Francisco City Council Board. Milk served almost eleven months in office, during which he sponsored a bill banning discrimination in public accommodations, housing, and employment on the basis of sexual orientation. However, his career came to a short when he was assassinated on November 27th, 1978 by Dan White, a disgruntled city supervisor.
Audre Lorde
Audre Lorde (18th February 1934 – 17th November 1992) was an American writer, feminist, womanist, librarian and civil rights activist. She described herself as a ‘black lesbian mother warrior poet’, and her work has covered everything from civil rights (The Black Unicorn) and sexuality to her battle with breast cancer (A Burst of Light). Following her death, the Audre Lorde Project was founded in 1994 as a Brooklyn-based organisation for LGBT people of colour.
Tammy Baldwin
Tammy Baldwin (11th February 1962-Present) is an American politician serving as the junior United States Senator from Wisconsin since 2013. In 20212 she was the first lesbian and out member of the LGBT community to be elected to the U.S. Senate. She has become one of the most vocal advocates for sensible gun control and has called for a national LGBT Equality Day.
Laverne Cox
Laverne Cox (29th May 1972-Present) is an American actress and LGBTQ+ advocate. She has played Sophie Burset on the Netflix series Orange Is The New Black, becoming the first openly transgender person to be nominated for a PrimeTime Emmy Award in any acting category. Moreover, she is the first openly transgender person to appear on the cover of a Cosmopolitan magazine and has a figure of herself at Madame Tussauds. She also works as a trans-rights advocate, hosting her column on the Huffington Post.
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