Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender History Month
For some, February may be a time for thinking up deliriously romantic shenanigans for Valentine’s Day in an attempt to pump a bit of life into an otherwise flagging relationship. However, for those of a more serious bent, February sees the return of the annual LGBT History Month. Established a few years ago, taking inspiration from a similar celebration first established in America in 1994 and following the example of Black History Month, LGBT History Month aims to uncover the often hidden history of LGBT people through the ages as a way of understanding our own present and imagining our future. The venture also aims to celebrate individuals who refused to conform because of their sexuality in times gone by, some of whom are deservedly celebrated, others remain shamefully neglected.
Oddly, for a town hardly renowned for its thriving gay scene, Stockport has plenty to offer throughout the month. At the Hatworks Museum, the Icon Wall will be on show during February; this installation commemorates LGBT figures throughout history and celebrates today’s more in-yer-face visibility with modern day icons. At Stockport Library, an LGBT timeline banner will be on display depicting significant moments in gay history.
Film events already lined up include a screening of Victim at the Stockport Plaza on February 7th. This film, starring Dirk Bogarde as a doomed gay men blackmailed by tormentors, proved to be an instrumental part in the movement to legalize homosexuality during the sixties. Meanwhile, the Lesbian and Gay Foundation are launching The Gaiety Club housed in their offices on Princess Street in Manchester on February 10th. This will be a monthly film club and, for LGBT History Month, they have chosen to screen The Celluloid Closet; a showcase of the contributions LGBT people have made to the film industry during the last hundred years. Narrated by Lily Tomlin, the film features countless clips and contributions from such luminaries as Tom Hanks, Susan Sarandon, Harvey Fierstein and Gore Vidal.
The LGF are also bringing a little light relief to their fundraising activities this month. They have launched Retro Homo with all their male members of staff pledging to stop shaving for the entire month in homage to those clone icons of the seventies. In a statement, Chair of the LGF’s Board of Trustees David McGovern said “Secretly, I have been looking for an excuse to grow facial hair and a moustache like my hero Burt Reynolds.