Hackney celebrates LGBT History Month as schools exemplify ‘accepting and supportive approach’
LGBT History Month celebrations are underway across Hackney with a theme of ‘Peace, Reconciliation and Activism’.
One artist-led project, ‘Resilient and Resisting’, will host the stories of LGBTQI+ sex workers, squatters and activists fighting for equality and physical spaces for their community.
The spoken word and live performance event, to be held at Hackney Museum on 28 February, will look at how queer people have created, fought and made safe spaces for LGBTQI+ communities, as well as how, as cities change, subversive spaces are often lost and unrecorded.
Artist Jet Moon, who leads the project, said: “The stories of ‘Resilient and Resisting’ are lively first-hand accounts of how people have created places of belonging and founded communities.
“Hackney histories, from queer squatters, the early rave scene, coming out stories, glimpses into forbidden clubs, workers rights campaigns, and how it feels to fit and not fit in, all the ways that personal struggles for belonging add to the rich mix of big city life.”
Attendees will hear readings from the project and be able to take these stories away in the form of a zine, a booklet which creates a space for marginalised voices to be heard.
Next week will also see the council hear evidence from the school community on how educational environments in the borough demonstrate “an accepting and supportive approach” to LGBTQI+ issues.
Schools will share with the 25 February meeting of the children and young people scrutiny commission their policies to tackle bullying and harassment, as well as how LGBTQI+ history is woven into the curriculum.
Examples from one secondary school include studies of the treatment of LGBT+ people in the Holocaust, a study of Queen Elizabeth I, including discussions about her sexuality, and a look at the life of Chinese premier Zhou Enlai.
One primary school will also give evidence of the regular refreshers it gives its staff in tackling homophobic language, with a dedicated circle time on what LGBT+ means as part of last year’s history month, with each class studying and creating a piece of writing about an inspirational LGBT+ person.
The same school added: “We have also begun looking for ways we can weave things into our literacy curriculum such as gender stereotyping, cultural capital and family make up, rather than just having ‘special weeks’.”
It has been announced that City & Hackney clinical commissioning group (CCG) is planning to invest £33,000 in improving access for LGBT+ children and young people.
Mayor of Hackney Philip Glanville said: “Hackney is well known for its diversity and we have a reputation of welcoming everyone, but this hasn’t happened by accident.
“The event at Hackney Museum not only remembers the hard-won victories made by our local LGBTQI+ community, but ensures that these histories are recorded for the community of tomorrow, inspiring new activists and ensuring our values of inclusivity can be shared for generations to come.”
If you would like to make a donation to Hackney Museum to increase its archive of artifacts with LGBTQI+ history in the borough, email hmuseum@hackney.gov.uk, or call 02083562509.