Why LGBTQIA+ History Month matters

Ash Manganaro, student and Events Organiser in the LGBTQ+ Society, talks about the importance of LGBTQIA+ History Month.

When I think about LGBTQ+ History month I think back to the days of Stonewall, when you could be arrested for not wearing three articles of clothing according to your assigned gender at birth.

I think back to why it was so important for people like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera to rise up at a time when gay bars across the block faced legal action just for serving alcohol to gay people. At the point of Stonewall they, and many others, had had enough.

Enough of their safe spaces being taken away from them. Enough of being left homeless by unsupportive families. Enough of the world treating them as an other. It leaves me completely disheartened to know that this is still the case for many queer people.

Brighton rocks

Upon a trip to Brighton I visited the museum.

I felt the smile grow across my face, amazed at how queer people had been interwoven throughout the city’s history.

In the fashion exhibit they featured a lesbian couple’s wedding outfits; they celebrated the gender non-conforming painter “Gluck” in a photo from 1926; and even dedicated an entire exhibit called “Queer The Pier,” showing off the talents of local queer people in Brighton’s hottest summer spot. This trip to Brighton Museum not only celebrates the LGBTQ+ community’s achievements but shows how we have always been here, influencing the world around us.

Brighton truly rejoiced in their LGBTQ+ history, however in many parts of the world they’re happy to erase our histories and keep us in the underground scene where we began rather than bring us to the forefront, but more on that later.

In the media

On 30 September 2022 the first LGBTQ+ rom-com by a major studio was released. Bros, by Universal Pictures, featured stars such as Billy Eichner (yes, the “Let’s go lesbians!” guy) as well as Dot Marie Jones, one of the stars from every queer theatre kid’s favourite tv show Glee. The film itself was everything a rom-com should be; sappy, cheesy, and left the audience in stitches. Notably the ENTIRE cast and crew were members of the LGBTQ+ community.

This was phenomenal to see, especially in an era where the rising debate around whether or not cis or straight actors should be playing queer characters, something the renowned musical theatre actor Billy Porter has been particularly outspoken about. Despite their excellent performances, Eddie Redmayne in The Danish Girl and Sean Penn in Milk simply didn’t feel appropriate for many audiences when these people were prominent in our community’s history and should’ve been represented appropriately. Thankfully The Danish Girl is set to be saved with a musical adaptation being workshopped and developed with trans actress L Morgan Lee taking on the role of Lili Elbe.

Returning to Bros, one of the key plot points of the film was the development of an LGBTQ+ national history museum. When trying to decide on the final exhibit there was a strong debate around the queerness of the 16th president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln; the main character is critiqued by his peers for making the claim.

Looking back

For those who are unaware, many historians have researched and theorised as to whether “honest Abe” was as straight as history suggests. While he was married and had children to Mary Todd, there is evidence towards his “friendship” with Joshua Speed, of whom he shared a bed and apartment with for four years.

Ultimately they decided that the exhibit would be too controversial for the fictional museum and instead featured a hologram of our favourite museum night guard, Ben Stiller. However, the point stands: many people throughout history have suffered from the erasure of their queer identities. Not only “Gaybraham Lincoln” but also Eleanor Roosevelt, the 43rd first lady of the USA who had an affair with journalist with Lorena Hickok while married to Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Painter Frida Kahlo was openly bisexual and featured themes of female sexuality and beauty standards in her art. Even ancient Rome and Greece have been reported by historians to be more than accepting of men being in sexual relationships with one another; seeing it as two men together is better than one, and a wife is simply a prize. In fact “The Sacred Band Of Thebes” were selected male soldiers, chosen only due to them being in homosexual relationships together.

This part of our history goes frequently unmentioned heavily due to laws like Section 28. Introduced by Margret Thatcher and her Tory government, lasting from 1988 until 2003, it was illegal for institutions such as schools to “promote” homosexuality in any which way.

Any mention of LGBTQ+ identities and lives was forbidden within any media or literature shown by local authorities; teachers couldn’t even say if they were in a same sex relationship. This was highlighted in the Russel T. Davies’ 2021 show It’s A Sin, with the character’s reacting to the law, one of which being forced to go through a mountain of books before passing them onto children.

Present day

While the days of Stonewall and section 28 are long since behind us it is still illegal to be gay in 67 countries, and in 11 of which it is punishable by death; not to mention that the act of cross dressing and being transgender is criminalised in 14 countries.

I think about mathematician Alan Turing’s astounding role in World War II, who committed suicide in 1954 after being subjected to chemical castration due to the laws around being gay at the time. I think about Oscar Wilde, the man behind some of theatre and literature’s most renowned pieces of work who was imprisoned for being caught in the act.

As queer people it’s important we are aware of the highs and low our community has faced.

Presently queer people are now being celebrated more than ever in mainstream media with Jill Scott being the first LGBTQ+ woman to win I’m A Celebrity; Stranger Things actor Noah Schnapp recently coming out as gay; and US president Joe Biden moving mountains in favour of LGBTQ+ rights, even chatting to trans icon Dylan Mulvaney.

However we still have a long way to go with Heartstopper actor Kit Connor being forced out of the closet, and bi and non binary identities still lacking the legal recognition they deserve.

We have already progressed so much as a community, but in honour of our queer ancestors, we must keep fighting for our rights.