NUPHSI PG Student Georgia Louise Bell
writes on the importance of LGBT+ History Month & Volunteering with ReportOUT.
LGBT+ History Month is an important time, in which we can reflect on the progress that has been made in the fight for LGBT+ equality, how far we still must go, and where in the world LGBT+ communities still need urgent help. We first started celebrating LGBT+ History Month in the UK in 2005.
This year in the UK we will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first official Pride event held in London in July 1972. Pride protests and marches were held before this, but 1972 signifies the founding of London Pride. This is a considerable anniversary to be celebrating, and this LGBT+ History Month we should be looking back at the progress made in these five decades:
- 1967: homosexuality in the UK was decriminalised five years before the first official pride event, a significant first step in changing social attitudes toward the LGBT+ community.
- 2001: the homosexual age of consent was reduced from 21 to 18, bringing it in line with the heterosexual age of consent.
- 2005: same-sex relationships finally gained legal recognition with the introduction of the Civil Partnership Act, followed in 2014 by the right to be married.
- 2005: transgender people can change their legal gender by acquiring a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC), gaining a level of legal recognition not before seen.
- 2007: discrimination based on sexual orientation is outlawed
- 2010: the 2010 Equality Act Officially adds gender reassignment to the list of protected characteristics
- 2017: The Alan Turing Law awarded posthumous pardons to those in England and Wales charged under sodomy laws. In January 2022 it was announced that all same-sex criminal convictions are to be pardoned as part of a new scheme
These are just some of the positive steps made in the UK there are many other more, both large and small that have made the UK a safer and happier place to live for the LGBT+ community. However, there are still great strides to be made.
However, the journey toward equality is not a linear one and during that time the UK also experienced a significant decline. In 1988 the UK government introduced Section 28, a law which prohibited schools and councils from “promoting homosexuality”. This included stepping in when children were homophobically bullied and a complete lack of sex education based around non-heterosexual sex. This was repealed in 2003, but harmed public attitudes toward LGBT+ people and had a lasting impact on those who lived through Section 28 during their school years.
In recent years there has also been a marked increase in anti-trans rhetoric in the UK. This is part of a worrying global trend with the UK being noted by both the Council of Europe and ILGA-Europe as having a particularly sharp rise. This has created an increasingly hostile environment for trans people in the UK who are facing largely negative media attention and restricted access to healthcare. Many LGBT+ organisations and trans activists are attempting to make the application process for a GRC less complicated and more accessible as well as trying to counteract a growing trend of anti-trans rhetoric.
But LGBT+ History Month isn’t just about the UK and the progress it has made; it is also about LGBT+ communities around the world who are also fighting for equality. There are currently 71 countries in which it is illegal to be homosexual. In these countries, punishments can range from fines to prison sentences to the death penalty. LGBT+ people are also subjected to incredible amounts of violence by the public and the police.
Last year I began volunteering with ReportOUT, a global LGBT+ human rights charity based in Gateshead. Their mission is based on three areas: Report (research and documentation), Inform (education) and Defend (campaigns). I personally volunteer as a human rights researcher and have been working on book chapters for ReportOUT’s upcoming book which will give an A to Z of the history and current state of LGBT+ human rights in every country. I got involved with ReportOUT because I am a big believer in queer solidarity and mutual aid, and this has allowed me to put my academic research and writing skills to practical use. Though research into the reality of human rights abuses against LGBT+ communities around the world has been sobering, and at times difficult, I am grateful to be part of an organisation that is helping in the fight for social justice. Doing this research has also made it stark just how precarious the rights that we fight for are, and how easily they can be repealed.
In light of the recent conflict in Ukraine, one of my fellow researchers produced this blog post regarding the risks being posed to LGBT+ people in Ukraine. I highly recommend this post to anyone who wants to gain further context of the risks involved with the Russian aggression in Ukraine and get an idea of the work ReportOUT does.
https://www.reportout.org/post/he-who-licks-knives-will-soon-cut-his-tongue
Georgia is a postgraduate student on our MSc in Public Health and Health Service Research. Georgia volunteers for ReportOUT a global LGBT+ human rights charity based in Gateshead. Links to ReportOUT can be fount below.