LGBT+ History Month starts today (Tuesday 1 February) – an annual event to remember, celebrate, educate and raise awareness of the history of sexualities and gender identities, as well as the contributions of the LGBTQ+ community in our history. It runs every February and is for everyone: inclusion matters to us all.
Aysha Rahman, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Adviser of Wessex Institute and member of Pulse LGBT+ Staff Network, and Dr Valentina Cardo, Winchester School of Art, held a competition to produce artwork that would be the face of the celebrations this month – a particularly fitting tribute to the theme of this year: Politics in Art.
This year’s winner Wu Shao-Ning, MA Textile Design Student at Winchester School of Art, took inspiration from pride flags and parades for the print pattern. She said:
“I think the parades are a wonderful symbol of how far we have come and how inclusive we currently are. Though we still have a long way to go, I wish our society is marching towards a future that is progressive and accepting.”
What’s on
To celebrate the month, a series of events and activities are running across the University and local communities. This includes the annual Stonewall Lecture and an exhibition of Derek Jarman’s Modern Nature at the John Hansard Gallery . Keep an eye out for what’s on throughout the month across the University here as well as on the SUSU website.
Inclusive accommodation
As of next year, Residential Services will be introducing LGBTQ+ flats for the first time after listening to your feedback via your Students’ Union – an exciting and timely development.
Get involved
For more information and other ways to get involved, check out the:
- Libraries LGBT+ Collection
- UoS Pulse LGBT+ Network SharePoint page
- Equality, Diversity and Inclusion SharePoint page
If you have an activity or images that you want to share with us, let us know by emailing: [email protected]
