February is LGBTQ+ History Month in the UK. The Month is intended to raise awareness of, and combat prejudice against the LGBTQ+ community, while celebrating diversity and highlighting the progressions that the community has made over recent years. 

LGBTQ+ representation is improving all the time, but it is still important to remember the people who made that possible. This month, we look to those who have been fighting for equal rights and improving the visibility of LGBTQ+ issues, from treatment in school to representation in media.

LGBTQ+ History Month was founded in 1994 by a high-school history teacher based in Missouri, America named Rodney Wilson. It takes place at different times for different countries; in the United Kingdom, it is observed during February, as this coincides with a major celebration of the 2003 abolition of Section 28, the Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003 as well as the government’s proposals to bring in a single equality act and a public duty. 

Right now, LGBTQ+ History and connecting young people to a sense on community, belonging, and solidarity is more important than ever. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, LGBTQ+ young people are twice as likely to feel lonely and more than twice as likely to worry for their mental health on a daily basis during the pandemic than their non-LGBTQ+ peers, research by Just Like Us has found.

Over half (55%) of LGBT+ young people worry about their mental health daily, compared to just a quarter (26%) of non-LGBT+ young people. This is because of an increased fear of bullying, rejection from family, harassment in the workplace, and threats of physical violence both from strangers and in a domestic setting. 

It’s true that the last two years has made celebrating the achievements of the LGBTQ+ community in the UK more challenging. But in Nottingham, local venues and services like The Wolfpack Project have remained an essential way to connect young LGBTQ+ people, helping them to learn about the sacrifices that have been made and how we can continue to grow.

Here are some places in Nottingham that we love that are LGBTQ+ venues and LGBT+ friendly, some of whom we have had the pleasure to work with in the years since being established as a charity:

• Five Leaves Bookshop (has a fantastic LGBTQ+ books section) – https://fiveleaves.co.uk
• Divine Coffee House (LGBTQ+ owned café) – https://www.divinecoffeehouse.co.uk
• The Lord Roberts (LGBTQ+ owned pub) – https://www.facebook.com/lordrobertspub/
• Broadway Cinema (independent cinema which often plays LGBTQ+ films) – https://www.broadway.org.uk
• New Foresters (LGBTQ+ owned pub) – https://newforestersnottingham.co.uk

The Wolfpack Project, run by two members of the Nottingham LGBTQ+ community, hosts a variety of monthly social get togethers for members of the local community aged 16-35. If you would like to find out more about our services, please contact us at hello@thewolfpackproject.org.uk.