Active Allyship for LGBT+ History Month

by | 27th February 2025 | Other | 0 comments

Picture Credit: Instagram/intersex.equality.rights.uk Image description: The current Pride Progress Flag. On the left of the flag a multi-coloured chevron points to a rainbow on it. The chevron has 6 layers. The first layer is solid yellow with a purple circle = Intersex. The second to fourth layer is white, pink and blue = Trans and Non Binary folk. The fifth layer is brown = LGBTQIA+ Marginalised People of Colour. The sixth layer is black = Black people and those living with and those who have been lost to AIDS. In the rainbow Red = Life, Orange = Healing, Yellow = Sunlight, Green = Nature, Blue = Peace and Purple = Spirit.

“No Pride For Some of Us Without Liberation For All of Us."

~ Micah Bazant

 

Hello everyone!

February is LGBT+ History Month in the UK (In the US, Canada and Australia, it is celebrated in October to coincide with National Coming Out Day on Oct 11th, and also to commemorate marches in Washington for LGBT+ rights in 1979 and 1987) and was founded in 2004 by Schools OUT.

Every year the organisation sets a different theme for LGBT+ History Month which, this year is 'Activism and Social Change’ and is about highlighting the powerful impact of LGBT+ individuals who have shaped history through their unwavering commitment to equality.

It comes at a challenging time for the LGBT+ community, with a massive backwards step in equality in the US.  The ripple effect of the current administration and the changes being made on social media whereby homophobic and transphobic abuse is being legitimised, means that people here in the UK (and all over the world) are really scared.

It is more important than ever, then, for us all to stand up as active allies and champion the work that has been done by LGBT+ individuals.

Here are some ideas for getting active with your allyship:

  • Commit to educating yourself about the history and evolution of the LGBT+ community.  A great way to acknowledge the work that has been done to increase inclusion is to remind ourselves of the Pride Progress flag – how it has evolved, what it represents, and why – view the description here.
  • Actively seek out and listen to LGBT+ people's experiences and stories - Schools OUT have also put together a great reading list to learn about the activists from history that have made a change in the LGBT+ community which you can see here (scroll down a bit once you’ve opened it!).
  • Consider using less mainstream social media platforms that protect their users (Mastadon is one that protects against abuse and hate).
  • Keep up to date on current issues for the LGBT+ community – you can do this by setting an email alert for keywords when they appear in the news.
  • Call out homophobic, biphobic, or transphobic comments and jokes (when it’s safe to do so).
  • Support LGBT+ organisations and creators.
  • Think twice and avoid making assumptions about a person's sexual orientation or gender identity.

Any other ways that you're being active about your allyship?  We'd love to hear from you.

Team THC x