LGBT+ History Month 2021
Evie Robson
February is the month that we celebrate LGBT+ History, looking back at how far we have come and also how far there still is to go, to reach a point where everyone is seen as equals and your sexuality or gender identity doesn’t define who you are or what you can achieve. There have been many big events in history which have made massive leaps in the changes of laws and also people’s opinions towards the LGBT+ community.
One of the biggest events in history that has made the biggest impact is The Stonewall Riots. On the 28th of June 1969, New York City Police raided the Stonewall Inn, a bar in Greenwich Village New York, USA. In New York at the time of the riots laws about same-sex relationships and how people were supposed to look and behave made being LGBT+ extremely dangerous. Relationships between two men or two women was illegal in New York, and people could be stopped by the police and arrested if they were wearing fewer than three items of clothing that the police thought were appropriate for their gender. Even the smallest act, such as men holding hands in public, could result in a prison sentence. This then meant it was really hard for trans people in particular, to feel free to look how they wanted to look, or to be the person they wanted to be. This meant that the Stonewall Inn was a very prominent place where LGBT+ people felt like they could express themselves without the fear of being arrested or being told that they would not be served because of their identity. But on the 28th of June 1969 that all changed, a police van pulled up outside, and officers poured into the bar, pushing, and shoving people around. Customers who resisted, or who the police simply didn’t like, were arrested, and bundled outside to the van in handcuffs. This led to 2 leading figures in the LGBT+ community realising that it was time to make a stand. These two people were Marsha P. Johnson, a drag queen and black trans woman, and Sylvia Rivera, a Latina trans women. These 2 women were very use to the mistreatment at the hands of the police, and once they saw what was happening to their friends at Stonewall, they decided they’d had enough. They began shouting at the police, screaming at them to stop, encouraging the crowds to act, to stand up against the harassment and bullying. Over the next few days thousands of members of the LGBT+ community joined in with the resistance against the police, this started what is now known as the Stonewall Riots. The impacts of these Riots up until today, was far greater than anyone could have ever imagined.
Another massive event that had dramatically affected the LGBT+ community was Section 28. In 1988, the British government voted in a law known as Section 28, which made it illegal for schools to talk positively about homosexuality. This meant it was impossible for schools to provide their students with information about safe sex or LGBT+ communities and made many young LGBT+ people feel isolated and lonely. Under this law, books that had any mention of LGBT+ ideologies and people were not allowed in schools. This law was only overturned in 2003, 15 years after it was put into action, but it still took a while after the law was overturned for people to start to feel comfortable to talk about it or get books into schools which start to talk about LGBT+ ideologies.
Moving towards the point we are at now, you would not believe how long it took the UK, who you probably believe is far forward in the fights for LGBT+ rights, to legally same sex marriages. It was only 6 years ago that same sex marriage was legalised and that you were able to actually marry the person you loved rather than only be able to get a Civil Partnership. Another way that the UK is still not as far forward as they could be is that Conversion Therapy is still legal in the UK. Conversion Therapy is the pseudoscientific practice of trying to change an individual’s sexual orientation from homosexual or bisexual to heterosexual using psychological, physical, or spiritual interventions. The thought of this practice still being used today really shows that there is still a long way to go before we reach a point of pure equality for everyone and eliminate the fear that LGBT+ still face in their everyday lives.
The UK has taken leaps and bounds in the steps that have been taken to reach the level of equality that we have achieved so far, but there is still a way to go. LGBT+ people everyday suffer in fear, the fear that they may be called homophobic or transphobic slurs, not wanting to come out because of the fear that they may be judged or rejected because of the way that they want to express themselves and the way that they feel comfortable and want to live their life. If you are feeling like you are struggling with any of these issues or just want to have someone to talk to. Here are some places that you can contact :
The Trevor Project
Stonewall
At school we also have a club called kaleidoscope where we discuss LGBT+ issues in the news, charity events that we want to happen at school. If you would like to join you can look at the firefly page under Extracurricular then Kaleidoscope, where you will find all the information you will need. As well as additional resources, of charities, websites as well as book recommendations and YouTube links.
One of the biggest events in history that has made the biggest impact is The Stonewall Riots. On the 28th of June 1969, New York City Police raided the Stonewall Inn, a bar in Greenwich Village New York, USA. In New York at the time of the riots laws about same-sex relationships and how people were supposed to look and behave made being LGBT+ extremely dangerous. Relationships between two men or two women was illegal in New York, and people could be stopped by the police and arrested if they were wearing fewer than three items of clothing that the police thought were appropriate for their gender. Even the smallest act, such as men holding hands in public, could result in a prison sentence. This then meant it was really hard for trans people in particular, to feel free to look how they wanted to look, or to be the person they wanted to be. This meant that the Stonewall Inn was a very prominent place where LGBT+ people felt like they could express themselves without the fear of being arrested or being told that they would not be served because of their identity. But on the 28th of June 1969 that all changed, a police van pulled up outside, and officers poured into the bar, pushing, and shoving people around. Customers who resisted, or who the police simply didn’t like, were arrested, and bundled outside to the van in handcuffs. This led to 2 leading figures in the LGBT+ community realising that it was time to make a stand. These two people were Marsha P. Johnson, a drag queen and black trans woman, and Sylvia Rivera, a Latina trans women. These 2 women were very use to the mistreatment at the hands of the police, and once they saw what was happening to their friends at Stonewall, they decided they’d had enough. They began shouting at the police, screaming at them to stop, encouraging the crowds to act, to stand up against the harassment and bullying. Over the next few days thousands of members of the LGBT+ community joined in with the resistance against the police, this started what is now known as the Stonewall Riots. The impacts of these Riots up until today, was far greater than anyone could have ever imagined.
Another massive event that had dramatically affected the LGBT+ community was Section 28. In 1988, the British government voted in a law known as Section 28, which made it illegal for schools to talk positively about homosexuality. This meant it was impossible for schools to provide their students with information about safe sex or LGBT+ communities and made many young LGBT+ people feel isolated and lonely. Under this law, books that had any mention of LGBT+ ideologies and people were not allowed in schools. This law was only overturned in 2003, 15 years after it was put into action, but it still took a while after the law was overturned for people to start to feel comfortable to talk about it or get books into schools which start to talk about LGBT+ ideologies.
Moving towards the point we are at now, you would not believe how long it took the UK, who you probably believe is far forward in the fights for LGBT+ rights, to legally same sex marriages. It was only 6 years ago that same sex marriage was legalised and that you were able to actually marry the person you loved rather than only be able to get a Civil Partnership. Another way that the UK is still not as far forward as they could be is that Conversion Therapy is still legal in the UK. Conversion Therapy is the pseudoscientific practice of trying to change an individual’s sexual orientation from homosexual or bisexual to heterosexual using psychological, physical, or spiritual interventions. The thought of this practice still being used today really shows that there is still a long way to go before we reach a point of pure equality for everyone and eliminate the fear that LGBT+ still face in their everyday lives.
The UK has taken leaps and bounds in the steps that have been taken to reach the level of equality that we have achieved so far, but there is still a way to go. LGBT+ people everyday suffer in fear, the fear that they may be called homophobic or transphobic slurs, not wanting to come out because of the fear that they may be judged or rejected because of the way that they want to express themselves and the way that they feel comfortable and want to live their life. If you are feeling like you are struggling with any of these issues or just want to have someone to talk to. Here are some places that you can contact :
The Trevor Project
Stonewall
At school we also have a club called kaleidoscope where we discuss LGBT+ issues in the news, charity events that we want to happen at school. If you would like to join you can look at the firefly page under Extracurricular then Kaleidoscope, where you will find all the information you will need. As well as additional resources, of charities, websites as well as book recommendations and YouTube links.