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Celebrating LGBTQ+ History Month

With 2022 now in full swing, February brings with it the opportunity to reflect on our history regarding the LGBTQ+ community. It’s clear that we’ve come a very long way from the dark days of old, but there is still so much more work to do. Homophobia and transphobia are still existent in our society, even if we don’t realise it.

In the early hours of 28 June 1969, something remarkable happened that changed the world as we know it. Police officers raided the Stonewall Inn; a gay club located in New York City. These raids were constant throughout the sixties, but this particular raid had repercussions that still echo across the world to this day.

Officers were physically violent toward customers, arresting 13 people. Officers had even taken cross-dressing customers into the bathroom to check their sex, which I can only imagine had been incredibly humiliating and dehumanising. Things escalated from one officer hitting a lady over the head. According to the account from the History Channel, it only took a few minutes for this to ascend into a full-scale riot.

The riots lasted five days, sparking one of the first major movements for LGBTQ+ liberation in the process. The one-year anniversary of the riots in 1970 saw thousands march from the Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street to Central Park; America’s first Gay Pride Parade, and one that would certainly not be the last.

As we mark LGBTQ+ History Month, it’s important that the sentiment of this first pride march is never lost for any of the communities within the LGBTQ+ banner. Pride is a crucial concept that goes beyond certain months – for many it is a lifelong struggle. Wherever you may fall or not fall on the LGBTQ+ spectrum, just know that you are valid, however you identify. Somebody’s right to exist in the manner they feel most comfortable should not be up for debate, unless it’s to the detriment of someone else.

It is crucial to let children find their own way when it comes to their own development. Enforcing the idea that it’s necessary for a child to grow up with any pre-conceived idea of sexuality is ultimately harmful in the long run. Accepting and embracing the idea that any sexuality is valid is crucial in advancing the fight for a more inclusive society.

Speaking for myself, it took me 26 years to discover my own asexuality. Though my asexuality falls within the + banner, realising that it is a valid identity has lifted a weight from my shoulders. A crucial part for me was realising that others were similar, and that sexuality is a broad spectrum. There are always people in the same boat, and the wonders of modern technology mean that we can reach out to them and share our stories.

In celebration of LGBTQ+ Month, 1decision will be looking to provide numerous resources for free, from worksheets to wordsearches to designing your own Pride flag! Keep an eye on our Twitter feed throughout February for something new each week.

In fact, you can already find a lot of resources on LGBTQ+ inclusivity in our inclusivity and acceptance parts of our curriculum. At 1decision, we are here every step of the way through a child’s journey toward realising their own identity.