Matthew reflects on LGBTQ+ history month, and how it is still incredibly necessary as time goes on…
In 2019, is the LGBT+ community (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Others) still asking for equality?
Nowadays, LGBT+ centred events can garner some criticism for being overkill. With biannual events like LGBT+ History Month in February (the one you don’t know much about) and Pride Month in June (the one you also don’t know much about but you love RuPaul’s Drag Race), it is truly remarkable that they haven’t completed their gay agenda yet.
With reputable historical sources confirming that this event can be traced back to as early as 2005, LGBT+ History Month is allegedly dedicated “to raise awareness of, and combat prejudice against the LGBT+ community while celebrating its achievement and diversity and making it more visible” (taken from a now expired Wikipedia article).
With its intention to illuminate the voices of LGBT+ history in order to teach the future LGBT+ generation, one would have thought that their effort to educate would be much less tiresome if they tried placing it into the national school curriculum as well. Statistically, in 2019, younger people are more likely to identify as gay, lesbian or bisexual: which must be really relieving considering that they would have been imprisoned/killed/beaten/ostracized/threatened/sterilised until just over 50 years ago.
Alongside this, with current major representation in Ariana Grande’s latest music video and that film where Emma Stone fingers Olivia Colman, the LGBT+
In a world where a quarter of young homeless people are LGBT, why can’t straight people join in on the #LGBTbaes? In a world where 80% of trans children have self-harmed (and half have attempted suicide), why can’t straight people tell us that they identify as a microwave without such sensitive backlash? In a world where 62% of LGBT+ graduates who are already out, feel the need to go back in the closet once they enter the job market, why can’t there be a Heterosexual/Cisgender History Month?
On top of all of this, in 2019 there is an openly gay footballer in the fifth league of the system, Father Christmas is now gender-neutral because the Daily Mail says so and it is only since very recently that LGBT+ individuals can no longer be advised by NHS professionals about ‘cures’… so what more do they want?
P.S. I am forever thankful for the italics function that helps convey my sarcasm on behalf of the misters, sisters and binary-resisters of LGBT+ history that fought hard to get to where we are today.
Matthew Rogan