February is LGBT+ History Month
The 1st of February marks the start of LGBT+ History Month which is extra special this year as March 2022 will mark 50 years since the first Pride event was held in the UK. March will also be 8 years since the first same sex marriage took place in the UK. This all shows progress and tolerance, it is a time to celebrate the history of the LGBT+ community but it is also a time to look to the future to see how we can achieve true equality.
Here are a few facts you may not be aware of and some of the issues the LGBT+ community are facing.
Homophobic and transphobic hate crime recorded by police in the UK rose sharply after the lockdown
“From January to August in 2021, at least 14,670 homophobic hate crime offences were recorded, compared with 11,841 in the same period of 2020 and 10,817 in 2019. During the same time period, police recorded 2,129 transphobic offences – well above the 1,606 offences in 2020 and 1,602 in 2019.”
Source - https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/dec/03/recorded-homophobic-hate-crimes-soared-in-pandemic-figures-show
From a government National LGBT Survey from July 2018 which over 108,000 members of the LGBT+ community took part in found:
LGBT respondents are less satisfied with their life than the general UK population (rating satisfaction 6.5 on average out of 10 compared with 7.7). Trans respondents had particularly low scores (around 5.4 out of 10).
More than two thirds of LGBT respondents said they avoid holding hands with a same-sex partner for fear of a negative reaction from others.
At least two in five respondents had experienced an incident because they were LGBT, such as verbal harassment or physical violence, in the 12 months preceding the survey. However, more than nine in ten of the most serious incidents went unreported, often because respondents thought ‘it happens all the time’.
2% of respondents had undergone conversion or reparative therapy in an attempt to ‘cure’ them of being LGBT, and a further 5% had been offered it.
24% of respondents had accessed mental health services in the 12 months preceding the survey
What can you do to be an ally to a member of the LGBTQ+ community?
1. Familiarise yourself with the language
You could begin with doing something as easy as reading a glossary of terms and teaching yourself the right language to use when talking with LGBT+ people. It’s a tiny but crucial step you can take to educate yourself and make sure you are using the terminology to be respectful to everyone around you, and help yourself to feel more confident when discussing LGBT+ issues.
2. Educate yourself on the history of LGBT activism
While you’re already on Google getting to grips with every letter of the LGBT+ alphabet you can explore the history of the LGBT movement. Getting to know the history of LGBT activism is an empowering act in becoming an LGBT ally. As well as honouring the effort and sacrifices of those that have come before, it’s important to appreciate how far we have come in the struggle for equality to fully understand how far we have left to go.
3. Discover the challenges facing the LGBT community today
Once you know the history you can help to shape the future. Do some research into the specific battles that are being fought now, and find out the obstacles that the LGBT community is facing. Discover specific campaigns that resonate with you so you can get active and focus your support to help really make a difference.
4. Get involved in the community and show your support
Sitting at home on the internet is the tip of the ally iceberg. If you really want to get involved in the cause it’s important to get out there and active in your community. With Stonewall season approaching it’s easy to find LGBT events near you that welcome allies. Let the LGBT community know that you stand with them because your presence at events is a significant show of solidarity and support. Joining the conversation and listening to the experiences of the people you meet will undoubtedly broaden your understanding of what is means to be an ally and better your awareness of how to help to achieve equality for all.
5. Stand up for what you believe in
It’s easy to imagine that when you come across discrimination or hateful language you will whir into action, righting wrongs and effortlessly challenging the behaviour and views of people speaking and acting in a hurtful manner. The reality can be very different and truthfully, sometimes standing up against discrimination can be an intimidating experience. The important thing is to let your voice be heard and although it’s not always easy, these are situations where being an ally really counts. It’s important to let those with bigoted views know that they are not in a world where they can marginalise or bully those that need our support - and this is really the essence of what being an ally is all about.
Source - https://www.stonewall.org.uk/about-us/news/come-out-lgbt-becoming-active-lgbt-ally
