LGBT History Month 2016

Each February Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) History Month takes place across the world to celebrate the lives and achievements of the LGBT community. The University of Birmingham will be observing LGBT History Month with a range of talks, performances and events taking place across campus, which can all be found in our programme of events (PDF - 973Kb).

Dr Nicola Gale will also be curating a blog on all things LGBTQ throughout LGBT History Month. If you would like to contribute to the LGBT Scholarship Blog, please contact Nicola.

Launch event - 5 February

LGBT History Month will be launched on Friday 5 February at 17:00 at the Bramall Music Building. Opening the evening will be a keynote speech by Dame Julie Moore, Chief Executive of University Hospitals Birmingham and nationally recognised as a LGBT role model by the Health Services Journal. Dame Julie's talk will be followed by a screening of the acclaimed film 'The Queen of Ireland', a documentary focusing on Pandora 'Panti' Bliss, the drag artist who became a figurehead of the gay marriage campaign in Ireland. The evening will conclude with a rousing performance by the West Midlands Rainbow Voices Choir. To book a free place at the History Month launch, please register here.

Professor Adam Tickell, Provost and Vice Principal and University Executive Board LGBT Champion: "The University is proud of its diverse staff and student bodies and recognises the significant contribution LGBTQ people have made to the University, both as a research institution and as a welcoming place to work. We were delighted that Stonewall decided to rank us the 79th most gay-friendly employer in the country in 2015, and I hope that our commitment to being an inclusive workplace is recognised again in Stonewall's 2016 rankings."

Visitors to our Edgbaston campus on 5 February will also notice that our clock tower 'Old Joe' will have a purple face from dusk to dawn to mark LGBT History Month. Purple is historically associated with the LGBT community and gay rights movement. It is also a symbolic colour worn on Spirit Day, a commemoration that began in 2010 to show solidarity with young people who have been bullied and victimised because of their sexuality.

For information on the Guild of Students' History Month events, visit: https://www.facebook.com/UoB.LGBTQ