Celebrating LGBTQ➕ History Month

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Information, advice and advocacy helpline for children and young people

February is a month to celebrate LGBTQ➕ history, and Meic is joining in the celebrations by looking at different aspects of LGBTQ➕ in our latest campaign.

This article is also available in Welsh. I ddarllen y cynnwys yma yn Gymraeg – clicia yma

LGBTQ+ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer history. The + is an inclusive symbol representing people of all identities within the community.

Meic’s LGBTQ➕ History Month Campaign

This month we have lots of blogs to share with you as part of our LGBTQ+ campaign:

Keep an eye on our social media for posts celebrating LGBTQ+ History Month during February.

Why celebrate LGBTQ➕ History?

LGBTQ+ History Month is celebrated every year because of a law called Section 28 that stopped people from “promoting homosexuality”. This meant that they couldn’t educate children or young people about LGBTQ+ issues. This law was introduced in 1988, and it took until late 2003 for them to finally get rid of it in Wales and England. LGBTQ+ History Month has been celebrated since 2005 in the UK to finally teach people about LGBTQ+. The celebration aims to promote equality (treating everyone the same) and diversity (differences) for the benefit of everybody.

The theme in 2022 is The Arc Is Long which comes from a quote by Martin Luther King, “The Arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice”. This means that change can take a long time, but it eventually happens. It’s hard to imagine that it took until 2003 for them to abolish Section 28 – it took a long time, but it does happen!

So, why do we still celebrate LGBTQ➕ History?

Even though things have progressed a lot, the LGBTQ+ community still faces ignorance and misunderstanding. Events like LGBTQ+ History Month are important to raise awareness, remember past achievements, and celebrate progress.

Want to learn more about LGBTQ+ history? Check out the video below, it may be over 8 minutes long, but it’s an excellent summary of LGBTQ+ history and looks at some great LGBTQ+ people who’ve left their mark on the World.

Chat to Meic

If you need to talk to someone about anything that’s bothering you, then call Meic to talk to a friendly advisor.

Meic is an information and advocacy helpline for children and young people aged 0-25 in Wales. We are open 8am to midnight, 7 days a week. You can contact us free on the phone (080880 23456), text message (84001) or on line chat.