LGBT+ History Month 2023 ‘Behind the Lens’
LGBT+ History Month is an annual month-long observance of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and non-binary history, specifically aimed to promote support and fair treatment for members of the LGBT+ community. The annual affair motivates us to learn and understand the people, the history, and the experiences of the LGBT+ community.
Every year, Schools Out chooses a theme for the LGBT+ History Month celebration; the theme for 2023 is #BehindTheLens. Not only does this concept support LGBT+ peoples’ contributions to film and TV but it also emphasizes the difference between LGBT+ lives illustrated in the media versus peoples’ lived experiences.
Too often, the media misrepresents marginalised communities through adverse and unrealistic narratives, which in turn stimulates discrimination.
At NEMI, we firmly believe that everyone in the UK deserves equal opportunities— in the workplace and in life itself. LGBT+ and refugees are both marginalised communities within themselves, so imagine how vulnerable LGBT+ asylum seekers and refugees are to discrimination and inequality. Thankfully, the following organisations exist to support LGBT+ refugees in their journeys:
London Friend offers any LGBT+ asylum seeker or refugee access to their English classes and other support services such as counseling, sexual health, social support groups, etc.
Rainbow Migration dedicates its efforts to helping LGBT+ people seeking asylum to increase their self-esteem and reduce isolation by providing free legal advice and information as well as emotional support.
Say It Loud Club believes in a world in which everyone can embrace their true identity. The organization has created a community in the UK to further campaign for legal aid, advocacy, and support of LGBT+ asylum seekers and refugees.
Outcome is Islington Mind’s client-led LGBTQI+ service that provides an inclusive space to receive mental health services and meet supportive peers. Their mission is to avoid LGBTQI+ people from feeling like the “odd one out.”
Nonetheless, whether or not you are a member of the LGBT+ or a refugee does not matter. Everyone can gain from this year’s #BehindTheLens celebration. In the end, we are all humans with our own lived experiences that deserve to be recognised and respected.
Take the month of February, and LGBT+ History Month as an opportunity to speak with new people. Listen, learn, and understand peoples’ narratives from their own points of view. Much more goes on ‘behind the lens’ than you may see online or in the media.
Anytime during the month of February, you can stop by an LGBT+ History Month event near you. There are numerous different options from museum displays to pub quiz nights all around London.