LGBT+ History Month: Home

What is LGBT+?

• What does LGBT+ mean? (~4 minute watch)
• Wanda Sykes Takes Us Through the History of LGBT+ (~5 minute watch)
• Here are 10 tips on how to be an LGBT+ ally (~10 minute read)
• It's always worth the time to have a browse of Stonewall UK's dictionary of terms, if you're not sure of a term you'll likely find it explained here, and a browse will bring to light something you probably didn't know about before
• Staying safe online as a member of the LGBT+ community

Representation and stereotypes

• The Golden Girls' Gay Journey - From Coming out to Marriage Equality - YouTube (~15 minute watch)
• LGBT+ Stereotypes That NEED to Die (~2 minute watch)
• Learn about the Kinsey Scale, derived from research which determined sexuality to be more of a spectrum than a binary straight / gay 'setting', and led to a shift in discussion of perception of LGBT+ people. (~3 minute read)

LGBT+ history and issues

• Look at a visual history chart showing voices and significant moments in LGBT+ history: LGBT+ voices and visibility history chart (~10 minute read)
• Read a moving love letter from a World War 2 veteran (~10 minute read)
• The last decade or so has seen some landmark moments for UK LGBT rights, this video shows a few of the highlights between 2009 and 2019. (~2 minute watch)
• This article looks at the issue of deadnaming where a trans person's birth name is repeatedly used instead of their chosen name. Whilst this can be done by accident quite innocently, it can also be a microaggression and a deliberate act to undermine a trans person's identity. (~10 minute read)

Representation

• Every year GLAAD (The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) release a report looking at the cultural landscape and positive representation of LGBT+ people in film and TV. You can read the full report, or have a look at the highlights; Media representation 2020 (~5 - 45 minute read)
• Ru Paul's Drag Race has done a lot to raise awareness of LGBT+ issues in mainstream media over the last decade, although it has not been without it's criticism for handling of some topics.
  • Recently two University of Northampton academics (Charlotte Dann and Luke Ward) recently wrote a paper about the show as a platform for debate, both positive and negative.
  • Ru Paul's Drag Race UK Season 3 (trailer) is currently streaming on BBC Three, available on iPlayer.

LGBT+ films and shows

• Dear White People is a fab show that deals with a variety of pressing issues and has a diverse spectrum of LGBT+ characters among its core cast.
  • Shows by Russel T Davies often delve in LGBT history and rights as seen through ordinary folk;
    • Cucumber looks at a 21st century gay life. The show builds to a moment which examines the Gay Panic defense, something that is still shockingly used today to try and justify acts of violence against LGBT+ individuals.
    • It's a Sin is currently streaming on Channel 4, and looks at the rise of the AIDs crisis emerging in London in the 1980's
  • Pose is a show by the prolific Ryan Murphy which explores the emerging underground drag ball culture in 1980's New York. The show has a large cast of trans actors
  • Pride is a historical comedy drama film looking at a group of gay and lesbian activists who helped raise awareness and support for miners during the miners' strike in 1984.
  • Pixar's 'OUT' is a wonderful short film (about 10 minutes) available on Disney+, about a man finding the courage to come out as gay to his parents

What does it mean to be Transgender?

• What Does It Mean to be Transgender?
• TransEDU: How it can feel to be misgendered 
• Recent trans history and BBC article on the struggle some trans folks face in their work place
• Transgender Kids: Theroux's 2015 documentary (BBC iPlayer)
• BBC article on why our medical systems are ignoring transgender people