claiming our history, celebrating our present, creating our future. in 1974 a group of lesbian and...

Claiming our history, celebrating our present, creating our future.

In 1974 a group of lesbian and Gay teachers came together to form a loose group called the Gay Teachers group it became national very fast.It was originally set up to be a social group to support L&G teachers who were not being supported by anyone if the got into difficulty in schools.Unions and Local Authorities were in the main of the opinion that it was not appropriate for L&G teachers to teach and certainly if found out deserved being suspended or sacked.

• We became political very quickly when one of the members Ian Warburton was suspended by the ILEA.

• He was asked to sign a letter that stated that he would never come out again if asked by pupils

• He refused

• Many of us signed a petition saying we would not sign such a letter either


• During the 80’s we worked to build our links with local authorities and unions slowly building trust and working with the changing attitudes.

• Paul Patrick and I wrote articles and explored concepts

• 1988 section 28 hit us


• 1987• Section 28 was mooted• We worked tirelessly to challenge it• Working in London with both the arts group

with Ian McKellen, Michael Cashman and Julie Parker as well as the schools group

• We helped to provide background and information to the Lords who were supporting us


• We worked tirelessly both against the act and supported and trained teachers on how to counter homophobia and make LGBT people visible in education

• We began to develop powerful alliances with unions who were now organising for LGBT rights


• 1998 supported Southwark Council produce the first Conference on Tackling Homophobia and Paul and I wrote the teachers toolkit on Tackling Homophobia Creating Safer Spaces (on both SO website and the Guardian’s Teacher Network site)


• We begin to work with the Criminal Justice system after the Stephen Lawrence Inquiry.

• I represent Schools OUT on LGBT Advisory Group to The Metropolitan Police

• Support the Crown Prosecution to produce guidance on prosecuting homophobic and transphobic crime and as a member of the Cross government group on hate crime


• 2004

• Labour talk of Equality Act and the Public Duty

• We decide to try and start LGBT History Month



LGBT History Month UK

November 2004Funding from DfES

December 2004Launch of the website at

Tate Modern

www.lgbthistorymonth.org.ukIt will be every February

Started in UK 2005.

http://www.lgbthistorymonth.org.uk/

Why did Schools OUT do it?

1. To augment the curriculum of our schools and by that:

• change the culture of our schools in order to:

• make schools safe and comfortable places for all who use them

• provide an appropriate education for all our students

Why else?

2. To encourage LGBT people to move from survival to

Celebration!&

to give everyone the chance to learn more about the lives and achievements of LGBT people.


• Ensuring the month has credibility and status

• Providing a calendar for events to be advertised

• Provide LGBT history /information

• Provide LGBT images for everyone to use

• Suggestion for events

Website to EnableGroups to set up their own events

by

Why is History so important?• It is only from history that we learn who we

were.

• It is only by understanding our histories that we can fully exploit our lives in the here and now.

• It is only by understanding our histories that we can properly work to create our futures.


• Receptions at:

• Manchester Town Hall;

• House of Commons;

• Edinburgh Castle.


• Over 100 events were organised nationally in the name of LGBT History Month.

• Details of each event were made available on the calendar on our website.

• They celebrated and included the diversity of our community

• Over 50,000 hits on website during February alone!


• Publicised and promoted through links to a wide range of other websites

• Putting LGBT History Month UK into a search engine elicits over 1,400 responses. March 2004

• Publicised and promoted through weekly e-mailings to over 500 individuals. Mailing list will continue to run approximately once every six weeks


Who organised Events?• LGBT groups.

• Libraries.• Cinemas –

including the British Film Institute!• Museums.

• Art Galleries.• Churches.

• Workplaces.• The Police.

• Trades Unions.• Councils

• And many, many more…….


Schools and Collegeswho provided

• Specific Lessons:on

• The Nature of Oppression.• Shakespeare’s sonnets.

• The Holocaust.Assemblies.• Displays.

• Drama productions and debates!


Schools OUT and Amnesty International

provided Lesson suggestions for all key stages

Assembly templates

General information on how to tackle homophobia

List of many resources


New website

Report on last years success

Last years calendar

More images

More history

More links

Pre-Launch for 2006

Sponsored by the Metropolitan Police Service

&

The Metropolitan Police Authority.

At the Empress State Building

Speakers were:

• DAC Rose Fitzgerald – Diversity – MPS.

• Rictor Norton – Historian.

• Sarah Weir – Arts Council.

• Jeffrey Weeks – Historian.

• Kirsten Hearne – MPA.

• Persia West – Trans Trainer.

• Cyril Nri – Actor & Writer.

The Galop Plate

Awarded to the organisation that hosts the Pre-Launch of LGBT History Month.

Will your organisation be the next to receive the plate?

Pre-Launch for 2007The night’s event was hosted by the Trade Union Congress, Amicus, NUSWT, NUT, Acord, Unison and UCU

Ian McKellen joins Cyril Nri and Sarah Wier as a patron for LGBT History Month.

Pre-Launch for 2007

Speakers for the night were:Brendan Barber: TUC General Secretary Claire McNab: Press for ChangeClaire Anderson: NUS Hannaan ImaanAllan Horsfall: Veteran campaignerAnne Marriot: Scottish LGBT History Month Dennis Carney: Black Gay Men’s Advisory GroupPeter Purton: TUC LGBT and Disability OfficerPersia West: A Place at the TableSir Ian McKellen: ActorStella Duffy: Novelist.

February 2007

LGBT History Month celebrated in the mainstream and LGBT pressChannel 4 led week of programming 15 Universities sponsored eventsOver 600 events took place nationally1 Local Authority hosted events for every day of the monthOver 25 events in Libraries and MuseumsNearly 500,000 hits on the website

LGBT HM2008

LGBT History Month Prelaunch 2008

At the Royal Courts of Justice

Pre-Launch for 2008

• Speakers for the night were:• Baroness Scotland Attorney General• Barbara Follet Minister for Equality• Dru Sharpling Chief Crown Prosecutor London• Richard Kirker Director LGCM• Rikki Beadle Blair writer and Director• Elly Barnes teacher Stoke Newington School• Prof. Stephen Whittle OBE Press for Change• With The Diversity Choir

Launched the LGBT Health specific micro site, developed with the NHS, with a tool kit of

how to do a Health LGBT History Month Event

2008

The Co Chair

Paul Patrick

Dies in May

2008

Labi Siffre, poet, songwriter and singer.

Becomes a patron

LGBT History Month can now have the

DCSF logo on its website

LGBT HM Pre Launch 2009

• Sponsored by• Department of Children Schools and

Family• Hackney Free and Parochial Church of

England School• Stoke Newington High School

LGBT History Month Pre-Launch in School for the first

timeHackney Free and Parochial Church of England School

http://www.hackneyfree.hackney.sch.uk/

Baroness Morgan Education Minister and students from Stoke Newington

School

We Launch Two new Toolkits with our Partners Intercom Trust•

• A tool kit for Schools to celebrate LGBT HM

• And A Tool kit for organisations and individuals that want to do an event for LGBT HM

Pre launch at British Museum

• Showcase of national professionals demonstrating how to celebrate LGBT History Month with youth in nursery, primary, secondary, university and youth club settings.

• Teachers Surgery• Chance to ask questions of experts from the

primary secondary and University sector.

Salford University3rd December

First Northern Pre launch

• Vice Chancellor of Salford University

• Professor Martin Hall

• And Professor Sheila Rowbotham

• Speak at the first Northern Pre Launch

First Northern Pre Launch of LGBT History

MonthJoin teachers and educationprofessionals, civic leaders andProfessor Martin Hall , Vice-Chancellor of Salford University,Professor Sheila Rowbotham,and Cllr Paul Murphy,Chairperson of Greater ManchesterPolice Authority for an evening ofcelebration, sharing and reflection

2011 and 2012 will be sports based for the run

up to the OlympicsSupporting LGBT people to enjoy

and participate in sport as

Players - amateurs and professionals

Students and staff in educational settings

Fans

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://newmansu.org/files/minisites/3228/lgbt_globe.png&imgrefurl=http://www.newmansu.org/lgbt&usg=__yv5svtrkkJfCpjwfldS-5qwASsM=&h=548&w=548&sz=235&hl=en&start=21&um=1&tbnid=_xnRSs6tjB1t4M:&tbnh=133&tbnw=133&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsport%2Blgbt%26ndsp%3D18%26hl%3Den%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:en-gb:IE-SearchBox%26rlz%3D1I7SKPB_en%26sa%3DN%26start%3D18%26um%3D1

Prime Minister Sends Message of Support for

LGBT History Month 2011

Pre Launch at Ruby Stadium Twickenham

2011

2 sports people come out this February

Graeme Obree

Flying Scotsman cyclist

• Anton Hysen

• Footballer

• Swedish

PRE-LAUNCH of

LGBT History Month 2012

at the

Kia Oval Cricket Ground

and

Ovalhouse

2013

• MP Endorses LGBT History Month The Government has endorsed LGBT History Month 2013 and our decision to focus on STEM.

http://lgbthistorymonth.org.uk/about-us/mp-endorses-lgbt-history-month/

http://lgbthistorymonth.org.uk/about-us/mp-endorses-lgbt-history-month/

Badges’ HistoryOur badges have changed with each year, here is their history:

2006Our

basic logo

• The Classroom aims to be an accessible space for teachers to locate a range of resources to make Lesbian Gay Bisexual Trans people visible in education. We believe that to eradicate homophobia and transphobia, the lives and contributions of LGBT people need to be visible throughout education. This can be done by delivering a broad and balanced curriculum.

• We passionately believe in diversity being celebrated in all its forms. Therefore, we present a simple but effective methodology to enable you to be an inclusive practitioner and promoter of equality and diversity.


You won’t find this verb in the dictionary. It means to make usual/everyday/ubiquitous. ‘Normalise’ is its closest synonym.Why not say ‘normalise’ then?‘Normalise is problematic when describing humans as it assumes there is a ‘right’ way of being and is therefore a pejorative term to many who consider themselves outside the majority. It also has connotations of ‘trying to fit in’ rather than embracing diversity.In what context is ‘usualise’ used?When we usualise something, we acclimatise people to its presence, and take away the threat of difference which creates fear and discrimination. Usualising in schools has more to do with familiarizing learners with a subject’s everyday occurrence or existence rather than an in-depth understanding of the subject.What does that look like when educating about LGBT?Learners should consistently be made aware of the presence of LGBT people. LGBT people are integral to our learner’s lives. They exist in all times and all places. They exist in the here and now; essential to the UK society and culture. Schools rightly do not only use white, Christian references in their curriculum, but a range of resources/artefacts/case studies of people across race and religion. Teachers should try to use materials that span a diversity of sexual orientation. In the context of the Classroom ‘usualising’ occurs when a teacher references Lesbian, Gay or Bisexual sexual orientation without inviting further comment.

claiming our history, celebrating our present, creating our future. in 1974 a group of lesbian and...

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