By Beds SU
Thursday, 3 February 2022
As a bit of background, LGBT+ History Month is all about celebrating the history of the LGBTQ+ community and the fight for LGBTQ+ civil rights. It was started in 1994 in the US, and these days, it’s main aim is to promote equality and diversity by increasing visibility of LGBTQ+ people and raising awareness about the issues that affect the community.
At Beds SU, we’ve put together a few things to celebrate with you.
Read
First of all, we’ve posted an article that compiles some great pieces of LGBTQ+ media for you to watch, read, and listen to. The things in this article come highly recommended and critically acclaimed, so they’re well worth a look.
Events
Next up, we’ve of course got some fantastic events in the pipeline that you won’t want to miss! More details on this will be released in the coming days, so keep your eyes peeled.
If you’re fancying some human interaction, we’ve got a ‘come say hi’ session planned, where there’ll be a stall and people to talk to! You can drop by on February 14th in the Box Office of Bedford Campus from 1 pm ‘til 2 pm.
And if in-person’s not your thing right now, there’s an online session on February 16th, between 5 and 6pm, for anyone who wants to attend.
Listen
Radio LaB is planning an LGBT History Month special on February 22nd at 10pm. It’s set to be packed full of anthems and interviews, so it’s a radio show you’ll want to tune into.
Watch
We’re also doing two mystery film showings with some fantastic movies lined up, so grab the popcorn and join us for a good old fashioned movie night. The first is at The Metro in Luton on February 22nd at 5pm, and the second is at The Hub in Bedford on February 24th at 6pm.
Supporting the University's Pronoun campaign
Beds SU is supporting Bedfordshire University’s pronoun campaign, which promotes a more inclusive community for all of our students and staff. The university said, “This LGBT History month we are encouraging everyone around the University to proudly display their pronouns.
Our ‘Be Proud of your Pronouns’ campaign highlights the ways we can make Bedfordshire a more welcoming place to Transgender and Non-binary people.
How you can make a more inclusive environment for Transgender and Non-binary people .
The easiest way to create a more gender inclusive environment is to simply display your pronouns in an accessible way.
This can include adding your pronouns to your email signature or social media profile – adding your pronouns next to or beneath your name in your email or in your description on social media lets everyone know how to correctly refer to you and encourages others to feel safe to go public with their own pronouns especially if they use pronouns that line up with their gender identity or if they use they/them.”
We hope you have great fun with the things we’ve put together! If you want to read more about LGBT+ History Month, check out the official website. The university has also put together a site showcasing what they’ve got planned for this month, which you can check out here.