LGBTQ+ History Month 2023

Week commencing 06 February 2023

KEY: [E] = Externally organised or held events, which are open to all.

Queer and BAME + LGBTQ+ Society - Everything Everywhere All At Once Screening

Monday 06 February (18:30 – 20:45 GMT)

Forum Seminar Room 9, Streatham Campus, Exeter (Devon)

The Students' Guild society's Queer and BAME Collective and LGBTQ+ Society are hosting a film screening of Everything Everywhere All At Once. 

Women's Programme: Black Feminism in Music [E]

Tuesday 07 February (19:00 – 20:00 GMT)

Online - Zoom

As part of LGBT History Month, Chardine Taylor-Stone will be taking us on an exploration of icons, songs and history of Black women's feminist expression in music from the the Blues of the 1920s to Megan Thee Stallion. Join our Women's Programme for this amazing, free, online talk!

Chardine Taylor-Stone (she/her) is an award-winning activist, cultural producer and writer. Alongside several years of community work, public speaking, curation and activism she also plays drums in all-Black women band Big Joanie who were nominated for a Mobo Award in the new Best Alternative Act category.

To register for the event click HERE

Wild Onion (Orange Skies Theatre) [E]

Tuesday 07 February (19:30 GMT onwards)

Exeter Phoenix, Gandy Street, Exeter (Devon)

Step into our circle and peel back the layers of this riotous, narrative cabaret. Blending theatre, dance, circus, and over 100 delightfully destroyed onions, WILD ONION brings three queer best friends together to explore and grow their chosen family.

PRICE: £12* (£10)* | £5* students/under 25s

To register for the event click HERE

*Subject to a £1.50 ticketing system charge. We don’t charge this to make a profit.

Let’s Talk About… Series - Competency and Confidence in Trans Healthcare

Wednesday 08 February (12:00 – 13:00 GMT)

Online - Teams

In the 12th session of the Let’s Talk About Series, Dr Caspian Priest will give a presentation followed by a chance for discussion and questions on the topic of trans healthcare, aimed at equipping everyone for competent, confident conversations around trans healthcare, and engaging with trans patients, colleagues, and students, and equip everyone with the knowledge and tools to create a respectful, inclusion and equitable practice and access to care.
The session will include a chance to talk through some ‘case study’ examples, and the option to ask questions anonymously. As always, the sessions are a learning space where we try and meet one another with respect, assume good faith in our questions, and learn together.

Dr Caspian Priest (he/him) is a South East Scotland based FY1 doctor and an author of "Transgender Healthcare: Caring for Trans Patients" - a course which has won a National LGBT Advisor Award for Health, with over 1,500 learners in the last year. Caspian is also a lecturer for trans health at St George's University London, and has a Master's in research.

Resources to explore before the session:

1. Trans Health key terminology.pdf – a quick glossary of some of the key terms used about/by trans people, and a note about changing language.
2. Trans Health Background reading.pdf A short list of other data pieces you might benefit from looking at or taking away with you, including some key data on trans health inequalities in the UK, some ethical insight into care decisions, and a video resource about trans people by trans people.

Key message: Creating dialogue around trans healthcare and seeking to address some of the barriers faced by trans people will better equip attendees for how to treat trans patients, colleagues or others with respect and dignity, as well as move toward a better standard of care for trans people, as well as better understanding.

Questions to consider:

• How could we talk about maternity cover for a trans man?
• Is this a good place for trans people to work and study?
• Why might trans people not access medical care?

For further information, please contact: Dr Musarrat Maisha Reza m.reza@exeter.ac.uk

For details on how to join the online session, please contact: Jasper Privett j.f.privett2@exeter.ac.uk

Here and Queer Showcase

Wednesday 08 February (19:30 - 22:00 GMT)

AMATA Studio K, Penryn Campus (Cornwall)

Currently, the UK government is rolling out legislation after legislation that directly endangers the lives of trans people from within the UK. It is dangerous simply to exist as a trans person right now, and that can be incedibly isolating, especially if you don't have much support around you. Here And Queer is a performance showcase that aims to combat this - bringing together queer and trans artists from across mediums to create a night of queer joy and resistance. Profits made from ticket sales will all be donated to charities - split between Mermaids UK, a trans charity that focuses on supporting trans youth, and the support fund for the victims of the recent Club Q shooting in Colorado. There will also be opportunities to make other donations on the night, so please bring cash!

This event is funded by The SU as part of the Student-Led Project Fund. Tickets are available for sale at AMATA website.

For more information on this event please click HERE

Terminology WERKshop

Thursday 09 February (12:30 - 15:30 GMT)

The Forum, Streatham Campus (Devon)

Come and join us in the Forum to learn more about LGBTQ+ language and slang, and where it comes from. Whether you’re a LGBTQ+ Student or a friend of the community, you’re very welcome to come and take part. You will have the opportunity to ask any questions you've always wanted to ask but haven't found a chance to. Tickets are not required for this event, just turn up.

For more information on this event please click HERE

Medical School LGBTQ+ Film Showing (2/4)

Friday 10 February (17:00 GMT onwards)

Baring Court 112, St Luke's Campus (Devon)

Film showing on St Luke's open to all staff and students. Films will relate to health experiences of LGBTQ+ people.

Second film: Paris Is Burning (1990)
A chronicle of New York's drag scene in the 1980s, focusing on balls, voguing and the ambitions and dreams of those who gave the era its warmth and vitality.

Trip to Museum Late: LGBTQ+ Histories in Cornwall

Friday 10 February (17:30 - 20:00 GMT)  

Meet at Penryn Campus Bus Stop / Royal Cornwall Museum (Cornwall)

Tickets £5 (student)

Join us at the museum for an evening look at the exhibition and a talk with Sophie Meyer (Cornwall Pride, Queer Kernow) about the history of Pride in Cornwall and the UK.  Refreshments available.

Transport to Royal Cornwall Museum is included in the ticket - we will be departing from Penryn Campus Bus Stop at 5:30pm. 

For more information on this event please click HERE

Phoenix Cinema - All the Beauty and the Bloodshed [E]

Friday 10 February until Monday 13 February (various showing times, see link below for details)

Exeter Phoenix, Gandy Street, Exeter (Devon)

Directed by Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Laura Poitras, ALL THE BEAUTY AND THE BLOODSHED is an epic, emotional and interconnected story about internationally renowned artist and activist Nan Goldin, famed for her vital and poignant photographs of artists, hustlers and the LGBTQ subcultures. Told through her slide shows, intimate interviews, ground-breaking photography, and rare footage. This documentary explores her work and inspirations and weaves them alongside a backdrop of Goldin's personal fight and struggles with the opioid painkiller Oxycontin as she attempts to hold the Sackler family accountable for thier responsibility for the opioid crisis in the USA.

For more information on this event please click HERE

Week commencing 13 February 2023

KEY: [E] = Externally organised or held events, which are open to all.

PRISM Speakers for LGBTQ+ History Month [E]

Monday 13 February (18:30 – 21:00 GMT)

Rougemont Room, Exeter Library, Castle Street, Exeter EX4 3PQ (Devon) 

PRISM Exeter’s Speakers series returns for a fifth year on the evening of Monday, February 13th in Exeter Library, Castle Street, Exeter (EX4 3PQ). The Speakers series platforms LGBTQ+ professionals from the STEMM sector, providing a fresh look at the types of people who work in the sector and highlighting the barriers to their inclusion and progression. Tech recruiter and Isca Apollo FC founder, Lewis Bell, will speak about the shared need for LGBTQ+ role models in tech and football. Physicist Dr David Newman will talk about his work with layered magnetic materials at the Diamond Light Source and the support he received from LGBTQ+ organisations across Exeter during his coming-out journey.

In-person and online-only tickets are available HERE

Chase of the Wild Goose Book Launch [E]

Tuesday 14 February (18:00 - 19:30 GMT)

Book Bag, 7-10 McCoys Arcade, Exeter (Devon)

Artist Sarah-Joy Ford in conversation with Daniel Fountain and Jana Funke.

Mary Gordon's historical fiction about the Ladies of Llangollen. One of the greatest queer love stories of all time.

Free entry.

For information and bookings see HERE

Trip to Royal Cornwall Museum: Guided Tour, Zine and Protest Badge Making

Wednesday 15 February (12:30 - 15:00 GMT)

Meet at Penryn Campus Bus Stop/Royal Cornwall Museum (Cornwall)

Join us at the museum for an evening look at the exhibition celebrating 15 Years of Cornwall Pride, learn how to create your own protest badge and zines.

Transport to Royal Cornwall Museum is included in the ticket - we will be departing from Penryn Campus Bus Stop at 12:30pm. 

Tickets £5.00 (Student)

For more information on this event please click HERE

LGBTQ&A: Allyship and Parenting [E]

Wednesday 15 February (13:00 - 14:00 GMT)

Free online panel event 

LGBTQ+ representatives from Lancaster University and University of Cumbria are collaborating to host an open discussion to answer your questions in honour of LGBT history month.

This year’s LGBTQ&A theme is focused on LGBTQ allyship, parents and carers. The panel will consist of three representatives from each institution and a panel moderator with lived/professional experience specific to this theme. During the event, this panel will be answering anonymously submitted questions from online and in-person attendees about the respective University’s resources, policies and support for LGBTQ allies, parents and carers as well as sharing local, national and partner organisations and national resources and guidance.

For information and bookings see HERE

LGBTQ+ History Month Museum Trip

Wednesday 15 February (15:00 - 18:00 GMT)

Royal Albert Memorial Museum, Exeter (Devon)

Come and join us at the Royal Albert Memorial Museum to visit the 'Out and About: Queering the Museum' exhibition. Whether you’re a LGBTQ+ Student or a friend of the community, you’re very welcome to come and take part. There will be chance to learn more about the exhibition and take part in some fun activities around LGBTQ+ heritage. There is wheelchair access. There is also an accessible toilet and blue badge parking. This is not a hearing loop, a BSL interpreter, or a designated quiet space. If you have any questions about this event, please get in touch by dropping us a message on social media or emailing us via communities@exeterguild.com.

For more information on this event please click HERE

Exeter Pride Heritage Project

Friday 17 February (17:00 - 19:00 GMT)

Forum Seminar Room 12, Streatham Campus (Devon)

Come and join us and Exeter Pride to get involved with Exeter Pride's brand new project: '15 Years of Exeter Pride: Our LGBTQIA+ Heritage'. Whether you’re a LGBTQ+ Student or a friend of the community, you’re very welcome to come and take part. There are opportunities to participate in the project, as well as learn more about LGBTQ+ heritage. It will also be an chance to find out more about how you can get involved with Exeter Pride throughout the year. There is wheelchair access. There is also an accessible toilet and blue badge parking. This is not a hearing loop, a BSL interpreter, or a designated quiet space. If you have any questions about this event, please get in touch by dropping us a message on social media or emailing us via communities@exeterguild.com.

For more information on this event please click HERE

Medical School LGBTQ+ Film Showing (3/4)

Friday 17 February (17:00 GMT onwards)

Baring Court 112, St Luke's Campus (Devon)

Film showing on St Luke's open to all staff and students. Films will relate to health experiences of LGBTQ+ people.

Third film: 120 BPM (Beats Per Minute) (2017)

Original title: 120 battements par minute

Members of the advocacy group ACT UP Paris demand action by the government and pharmaceutical companies to combat the AIDS epidemic in the early 1990s.

An Event to Mark LGBTQ+ History Month [E]

Saturday 18 February (10:00 - 16:00 GMT)

Kea Community Centre, Old Coach Road, Playing Place (near Truro) TR3 6ER (Cornwall)

Celebrate, Educate and Inform - FFLAG and The Intercom Trust are hosting an event to mark LGBTQ+ History Month, featuring stalls, competitions, children's games, refreshments, a raffle and more!

ALL WELCOME, just pop in!

Week commencing 20 February 2023

KEY: [E] = Externally organised or held events, which are open to all. 

Gay Writes: Poetry Workshop

Monday 20 February (17:00 - 18:45 GMT)

Forum Seminar Room 8, Streatham Campus (Devon)

This LGBTQ+ History month, join local spoken-word poet Chris White for a fun & empowering poetry writing workshop for queer writers, artists, and anyone who wants to give it a go. We’ll write our own Queer histories, and get creative with a series of slightly silly prompts and some serious writing exercises, gathering inspiration from our lives, each other and some contemporary LGBTQ+ poets. Come along and get creative in a supportive and friendly space. There will also be a chance to share your work and get feedback. LIMITED SPACES - Please email communities@exeterguild.com for tickets.

For more information about this event click HERE

Intercom Trust - Gender Variance in history and culture [E]

Wednesday 22 February (18:30 – 21:30 GMT)

Online

A seminar on 5000+ years of recorded gender history and variance with Steve, Chai and Sadie from Intercom Trust.

Explore and reflect upon Gender Diversity from a global perspective.

Connect colonialism, cultural identities, patriarchy, misogyny and legislation with transphobia and current issues.

Increase your ability to talk about trans identities and history to be better able to support people in feeling less alone and more connected with a rich cultural heritage.

To register for the event click HERE

Exeter's Book/Film Group for LGBT+ History month: Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Grace Lavery’s Please Miss [E] 

Wednesday 22 February (18:30 GMT)

Exeter Picturehouse, 51 Bartholomew Street West (Devon)

Exeter Picturehouse and Bookbag are reuniting for the second edition of their Book/Film Club, this time with a pairing inspired by LGBT+ History Month!  This event is in collaboration with the University of Exeter’s LGBTQ+ Staff Network and the Trans and Nonbinary Café, with Jasper Privett choosing the book and film pairing.  You're invited to grab a copy of our chosen book from Bookbag, get a ticket for the film from the Picturehouse, and then discuss the two after the movie over a drink in the Picturehouse bar.

We're reading... “Please Miss” by Grace Lavery

A funny, warm, and painful memoir of gender transition and recovery from addiction, Please Miss follows Grace fumbling toward a new identity. The result is dazzling and unforgettable – how could her story be straightforward when she is anything but?

Bookbag on Instagram

We're watching... Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001)

Based on the trailblazing musical from writer–director–star John Cameron Mitchell, discover one girl's reinvention as an 'internationally ignored' but divinely talented rock diva.

See the Picturehouse for more information and tickets.

A Queer History of Pirates - Queer Kernow Guest Event

Thursday 23 February (18:30 - 20:30 GMT)

Exchange Lecture Theatre, Penryn Campus (Cornwall)

The lovely people from Queer Kernow are bringing their expertise on all things queer, Cornish history to the Pride Soc to present a history event about the queer history of pirates! It's sure to be a very queer, very exciting journey, so join us on a historical voyage across the seven gay seas.  The Lecture Theatre can be accessed by using the lift system from the ground floor, where you should exit the lift on the 1st floor, outside the entrance to Penryn Campus Library.

For more information about this event click HERE

LGBTQ+ Students Community Café #2

Friday 24 February (10:30 - 12:30 GMT)

DH1 (Devonshire House), Streatham Campus (Devon)

Come and join us for the start of LGBTQ+ History Month's pop-up Community Café. Whether you’re a LGBTQ+ Student or a friend of the community, you’re very welcome to come. This is a great opportunity to find your community and make friends over a free drink, refreshments, and some activities! Tickets are not required for this event, just turn up. There is wheelchair access. There is padded seating, an accessible toilet, a gender neutral toilet, general car parking, and blue badge parking. This is not a hearing loop, a BSL interpreter, or a designated quiet space. If you have any questions about this event, please get in touch by dropping us a message on social media or emailing us via communities@exeterguild.com.

For more information about this event click HERE

Medical School LGBTQ+ Film Showing (4/4)

Friday 24 February (17:00 GMT onwards)

Baring Court 112, St Luke's Campus (Devon)

Film showing on St Luke's open to all staff and students. Films will relate to health experiences of LGBTQ+ people.

Fourth Film: But I'm a Cheerleader (1999)
A naive teenager is sent to rehab camp when her straitlaced parents and friends suspect her of being a lesbian.

LGBTQ+ Society Discussion Event - What does Queer mean to you?

Friday 24 February (18:00 – 20:00 GMT)

Neil Cross Room, First Floor, Forum Library, Streatham Campus (Devon)

This is a collaboration between NDSS, Queer and BAME, and LGBTQ+ Society. To round up LGBTQ+ History Month, join other society members for an informal discussion about "What does being Queer mean to you?". Some prompt questions will be provided to encourage discussion, but we encourage people to bring their own!

Some drinks and snacks will be provided but feel free to bring your own - please no nuts.

Please be aware that this is a safe space for everyone involved, and any forms of bigotry or discrimination will not be tolerated - committee members will be on hand to moderate the discussion if necessary. We'll have pens and paper for people that may prefer writing over speaking, but please contact a committee member if there's anything else we can provide to make the space more welcoming.

For more information about this event, please click HERE

Phoenix Cinema - Blue Jean [E]

Friday 24 February until Thursday 2 March (various showing times, see link below for details)

Exeter Phoenix, Gandy Street, Exeter (Devon)

British writer-director Georgia Oakley’s frank, searing and remarkably accomplished feature debut follows a lesbian teacher facing homophobia at a pivotal point in British history. England, 1988: Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative government is about to pass Section 28, a law stigmatising homosexuality in education and forcing Jean (Rosy McEwen), a P.E. teacher at a secondary school in north-east, to live a double life. It’s crucial her employers don’t find out she’s gay, but at the same time, the secrecy is alienating her from her own life. As pressure mounts, the arrival of a new girl (Lucy Halliday) at Jean’s school catalyses a crisis that challenges her to her core. It’s easy to forget just how toxically homophobic British life was in the not-too-distant past, and Oakley’s film is a pleasing ode to queer resilience at the especially poisonous moment of the Section 28 ruling. A forthright Thatcher-era period piece prompting reflections on our national treatment of homosexuality, placing this past in dialogue with the present, Blue Jean is also a beautifully photographed, pleasingly complex and poignant character study of a woman unsure how she wants to proceed – or be perceived – in her own life.

For more information on this event please click HERE

Week commencing 27 February 2023

KEY: [E] = Externally organised or held events, which are open to all.

Phoenix Cinema - Blue Jean [E]

Friday 24 February until Thursday 2 March (various showing times, see link below for details)

Exeter Phoenix, Gandy Street, Exeter (Devon)

British writer-director Georgia Oakley’s frank, searing and remarkably accomplished feature debut follows a lesbian teacher facing homophobia at a pivotal point in British history. England, 1988: Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative government is about to pass Section 28, a law stigmatising homosexuality in education and forcing Jean (Rosy McEwen), a P.E. teacher at a secondary school in north-east, to live a double life. It’s crucial her employers don’t find out she’s gay, but at the same time, the secrecy is alienating her from her own life. As pressure mounts, the arrival of a new girl (Lucy Halliday) at Jean’s school catalyses a crisis that challenges her to her core. It’s easy to forget just how toxically homophobic British life was in the not-too-distant past, and Oakley’s film is a pleasing ode to queer resilience at the especially poisonous moment of the Section 28 ruling. A forthright Thatcher-era period piece prompting reflections on our national treatment of homosexuality, placing this past in dialogue with the present, Blue Jean is also a beautifully photographed, pleasingly complex and poignant character study of a woman unsure how she wants to proceed – or be perceived – in her own life.

For more information on this event please click HERE

Events not specific to LGBTQ+ History Month dates

KEY: [E] = Externally organised or held events, which are open to all.

15: A History of Pride in Cornwall [E]

Tuesday 10 January - Saturday 25 February (Various events)

Exhibition and events hosted by the Royal Cornwall Museum in partnership with Queer Kernow and Cornwall Pride. Celebrating 15 years of Cornwall Pride, this exhibition and programme of events explores the varied history of Pride in Cornwall. Looking at love, loss and the lives of LGBTQ+ people from the 17th century through to modern day. Cornwall has become a beacon of support, awareness and celebration for the LGBTQ+ community.

This exhibition is in collaboration with Queer Kernow and Cornwall Pride.

For more information on this event please click HERE

Bill Douglas Cinema Museum

The Bill Douglas Cinema Museum at the University of Exeter is a museum of moving image history looking at audience’s fascination with moving pictures over three centuries. It contains a wealth of fascinating material to explore for LGBTQ+ History Month every year, but particularly in 2023 with the ‘Behind the Lens’ theme.

In 2021 museum volunteers Rosanna and Milan worked with the ‘Translating for Change Project’ to produce a display highlighting our LGBTQ+ collections. The digital exhibition and history trail they produced for this are still available and you can access them through https://www.bdcmuseum.org.uk/news/new-lgbtq-cinema-exhibition/.

See the full article here

Adventures in Time and Gender

An interactive website that contains a podcast following a young non-binary person travelling through time to discover gender diversity throughout history. This collaborative project was led by an all trans and non-binary team of artists and creatives and supported by researchers from the University of Exeter.

See the full article here

LGBTQ+ history archives and collections

University of Exeter LGBTQ+ Resources

National Archives LGBT History Media

National Archives Research Guide Sexuality and Gender History

Historic England - England's LGBTQ Heritage

Pride of Place: England's LGBTQ Heritage

British Library LGBTQ Histories

Other highlights

The Census 2021 results include data about the sexual orientation and gender identity of people in England and Wales, from the ONS (Office of National Statistics). This is the first time that this type of census information has been collected and published.

LGBT+ on BBC iPlayer celebrating the LGBT+ community and its history.

Eddystone Trust

Offer HIV and sexual health services across the South West

Galop

Galop is a LGBTQ+ anti-abuse charity. They work with and for LGBTQ+ victims and survivors of interpersonal abuse and violence

Intercom Trust 

South West LGBTQ+ charity offering 1:1 support, counselling, training and consultancy, covering Devon and Cornwall

LGBTQ+ Equality

The University of Exeter's equality webpages providing support, advice, and information for LGBTQ+ staff and students, as well as friends, colleagues, and allies

Mermaids

Mermaids supports trans, non-binary and gender-diverse children and young people, as well as their families and professionals involved in their care

MindOut

MindOut is a mental health service run by and for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer (LGBTQ) people

Stonewall

Is a lesbian, gay, bi and trans (LGBT) rights charity in the UK. It is the largest LGBT rights organisation in Europe

Student Space

A phone and Webchat Service for trans, gender-diverse and non-binary students