February is LGBT+ History Month – a chance to celebrate LGBT+ lives and culture in order to challenge prejudice and build equality.
On Friday 22nd February Southend UNISON LGBT+ Group and OUTreach (Southend-on-Sea Borough Council’s forum for LGBT+ staff and allies) will be holding a stall to celebrate the lives and achievements of the diverse LGBT+ community.
WHERE: Southend Borough Council, Foyer, Civic Centre, Victoria Avenue, Southend-on-Sea SS2 6ER
WHEN: Friday 22nd February, 12:00 – 2:00pm
Everyone welcome, we look forward to seeing you there!
In the meantime, explore UNISON’s and the labour movement’s LGBT+ history through the interactive timeline and downloadable wallchart below.
Interactive Timeline of UNISON’s LGBT+ History
UNISON’s own LGBT+ history shows how far we have come, remind us of what we have achieved and highlights our commitment to the campaigns ahead.
The film Pride brought a slice of lesbian and gay political history to a new audience but what UNISON members may not know is the extent to which our former partner unions were involved in the struggle for gay rights, along with the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM).
The interactive timeline below shows a few of our historical moments. It is not a comprehensive history and of course many more people than are mentioned here have contributed to LGBT+ rights, and continue to do so.
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Voices and Visibility: Uncovering Hidden Histories Wallchart
The wallchart, click here to download, has been produced by the Forum for Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Equality in Further and Higher Education and a group of trade unions in association with Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans (LGBT+) History Month.
The aim has been to produce a resource to support those raising awareness of sexual orientation and gender identity, equality and diversity.
Centred on the United Kingdom, it highlights important legal milestones and identifies visible and significant contributions made by individuals, groups and particularly the labour movement.
The group is currently developing a digital version of the chart. This will provide more detailed information about the campaigns, organisations and personalities identified in the wallchart. Guidance for educators using the resources is also planned. For more information visit: https://lgbthistorymonth.org.uk/wallchart/
