LGBTQ+ History Month 2025
Every February, LGBTQ+ History Month aims to increase the visibility of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and raise awareness of the community's history, lives and experiences in education, culture, and society.
The theme for 2025 LGBTQ+ History month is Activism and Social Change #SocialActivism. We encourage students, staff and all members of our community to join in with events and conversations.
LGBTQ+ History Month is intended to raise awareness of LGBTQ+ history, and combat prejudice against LGBTQ+ people.
We can uncover and tell the stories of those who didn't have rights, remember the lives lost through discrimination and violence, consider how history can help us move forward in the future in a way that validates, supports and champions the LGBTQ+ community, and think about how we can continue the fight against ongoing attempts to erode LGBTQ+ freedoms in the UK and around the world. Now more than ever we need to come together as a community, together with our allies, to understand how the activism of the past, present and future will lead to acceptance of all, regardless of who they love, and who they choose to be.
Change only happens when people make it happen. We must stand up, be heard, and share how we improve and enrich society not just for ourselves, but for everyone. We proudly stand with our colleagues, friends, students and all people and will continue to do so, whatever challenges continue to come at us in today’s world.
Co-Chairs of the Rainbow Alliance staff network
What's on?
- Queer as Folklore, Sacha Coward
Tuesday 18 February, 6.30pm
Hosted by the Institute for the Public Understanding of the Past (IPUP) and the Department of History. this will be an exhilarating journey across centuries and continents which reveals the unsung heroes and villains of storytelling, magic and fantasy. -
Gaylidh
Wednesday 26 February, 6pmRainbow Alliance, QueerArts and UNISON have come together to give you a night to remember! Whether you are a member of staff or a student, everyone is welcome. Let's celebrate the joy and rainbows among the dark clouds.
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Law and LGBTQ+ Arts and Culture in Modern Britain
Monday 24 February 6pm
A joint event between the Rainbow Alliance, QueerArts and The University of Law.
City-wide and national events
There are other LGBTQ+ History Month events taking place within the city and across the country.
York LGBT+ History Month events programme
This includes the following events being held at York St John University.
- LGBTQ+ History Month 2025: An Evening with the Linden Archives
Thursday 13 February - Colourful Language: Understanding and Reclaiming LGBTQ+ Slurs
Wednesday 19 February - LGBTQ+ HM 2025: Being Gay in Thatcher's Britain: Panic, Policy and the Struggle for Acceptance in the Time of AIDS
Wednesday 26 February
For national events, see the LGBT+ History Month events page.
Resources and networks
We have some recordings from previous events available for you to watch again via the University’s Celebrating Diversity and York Ideas YouTube channels. Revisit some of the following:
- Progress Pride Flag raising event 2024
- Five decades of LGBT+ activism - Stuart Feather in conversation
- Caring for the Grey in LGBTQ+
- Queer futures in science fiction theatre - Bee Scott
- As good as a marriage: the Anne Lister diaries - Jill Liddington
- One of them: from Albert Square to Parliament Square - Michael Cashman in conversation
- Rethinking trans history
If you self-identify as LGBTQ+, you're invited to join LGBTQ+ Students Network and be part of the community!
The network is managed by YorQueer (formerly LGBTQ Social), the LGBTQ+ society at York. For more information about the network or the society, email yorqueer
The Rainbow Alliance is the staff network to represent our LGBTQ+ staff community.
The network holds monthly social activities including an evening gathering in the city centre on the first Thursday of each month, along with an on-campus lunch gathering in the Church Lane building every third Wednesday lunchtime. If you are interested in organising any events with support from the Network, let us know. For more details, please contact equality
We are committed to creating an environment that is safe, inclusive and welcoming for all staff and students. This includes supporting people who wish to make or have made changes to their gender identity.
We have put together extensive information about sources of support, University processes and things to know for staff and students wishing to transition, and for those staff supporting them.