2026 will be the 22nd UK LGBT+ History Month, the first UK LGBT+ History Month was in 2005. The month highlights the incredible things LGBT+ people in all our diversity have achieved throughout history, in all areas of life.

UK LGBT+ History Month was created to:

• claim our past
• celebrate our present
• create our future

Section 28 was part of the Local Government Act 1988, brought in by the backward and homophobic Conservative government of Margaret Thatcher. Their new law stated that a local authority "shall not intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality" or "promote the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship".

Of course lesbian, gay and bisexual young people have always existed in the world and, therefore, in our classrooms. However, because of this law, they did not see themselves reflected in the education they were receiving and did not have the language to describe their own experiences.

The cruel legislation was singly responsible for the bullying of many young children in school, whether they were gay, or just thought to be gay. It claimed the lives of many young people, particularly young men, who committed suicide as a result of them realising they were gay and them being unable to face the prejudice of their every day lives. It gave bigots and thugs all the excuses they needed to verbally and physically attack LGBTQ+ people, in particular young people. It saw vulnerable teenagers being made homeless, by families who'd thrown them out of the family home.

Section 28 was abolished by Tony Blair's Labour Government in 2003, and more than twenty years on from this, we find ourselves moving increasingly towards the right side of history. For many more schools than ever before, positive and inclusive education around lesbian, gay and bisexual lives and identities is just part and parcel of teaching all students about the world they actually live in. Furthermore, we’re learning to embrace lesbian, gay and bisexual young people as valued, included and visible, simply part of the rich diversity of any (school) community, with more freedom than ever to explore this element of who they are.

Each year they set a theme, and five LGBT+ historical figures are chosen to highlight. A number of free resources are then provided to a full range of the UK's educational settings, organisations, and businesses.

In addition, across social media channels, they highlight the five LGBT+ historical figures and UK LGBT+ people past and present in line with their theme.

Science and innovation impacts our daily lives, from the technology we use to developments in healthcare, as well as helping us to address global challenges such as climate change and access to clean energy.

The 2026 theme for LGBT+ History Month aims to highlight the contributions of LGBT+ people historically and today, and to raise awareness of the people behind them.

• Barbara Burford - A medical researcher who established NHS equality and diversity guidelines.
• Charles Beyer - A locomotive engineer and a founding member of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers.
• Elke Mackenzie - A polar explorer and botanist, born Ivan Mackenzie Lamb, who researched lichens in Antarctica.
• Jemma Redmond - A biotechnologist who developed 3D bioprinters to create tissues and organs.
• Robert Boyle - A founder of modern chemistry and of the modern scientific method.

Amongst the events in this year's LGBT+ History Month are:

• AFTER SECTION 28 LGBTQIA+ Rights in an Age of Censorship and Backlash. Friday 6th February 2026 at the Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge. Our rights are slipping once more — it's time to take action before history repeats itself. An urgent one-day conference exploring the resurgence of anti-rights agendas, increasing censorship of LGBTQIA+ lives, and the lessons still to be learned from Section 28. More Information.


• Shocking: The Untold History of Psychiatry and Homosexuality in Northern Ireland. This talk led by Dr. Tom Hulme uncovers the untold, intimate history of how psychiatry tried to define, control, and even cure same-sex desire – from whispered confessions in the 1920s to the shock therapy that lingered into living memory. We'll encounter the brave and the bold: aristocratic artists seeking to understand their forbidden love, working-class soldiers pursuing pleasure, and the hopeful brides of mock marriages. Monday 16th February 2026 from 7pm - 8pm at The Black Box Green Room, 18-22 Hill St, Belfast BT1 2LA. More Information.


• QUEER GEORGIANS: A Hidden History of Lovers, Lawbreakers and Homemakers. Dr Anthony Delaney traces the stories of people daring to challenge society's expectations, unearthing archives and court records to reveal the tragedies and the joys of queer life three centuries ago. Breathing new life into the forgotten and offering radical new interpretations of celebrated figures Queer Georgians is an invitation to view our shared history in a whole new light. Bow Street Museum, London on Thursday 26th February 2026, 6.30pm-8pm. More Information.


• LGBT FILM NIGHT - Hosted in partnership with Positive East this is a monthly LGBT film night & discussion. Each month they focus on a different aspect/theme of the LGBTQ+ community. The film is then followed by a guest speaker relating to the theme. Entry is free and takes place at Redbridge Central Library, Ilford. Tuesday 10th February and Tuesday 10th March from 6pm-9pm. More Information.


• Talk: Defamation and Desire: Edinburgh's Sapphic Scandal. Tuesday 10 February 2026 from 12.45–1.30pm. Free but ticketed. National Galleries of Scotland. Hawthornden Lecture Theatre and livestreamed via YouTube. Writer and researcher Indigo Dunphy-Smith uncovers the legal case surrounding two Edinburgh schoolteachers accused of 'inordinate affection' by one of their students. Through the NGS collection, she will explore the people and places connected to this infamous early 19th-century case, which later inspired the 1961 film The Children's Hour. More Info: In person Attendance or More Info: Online Viewing.

LGBT+ History Month Badges.

The overall aim of LGBT+ History month is to promote equality and diversity for the benefit of the public. This is done by:

• Increasing the visibility of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (“LGBT+”) people, their history, lives and their experiences in the curriculum and culture of educational and other institutions, and the wider community;
• Raising awareness and advancing education on matters affecting the LGBT+ community;
• Working to make educational and other institutions safe spaces for all LGBT+ communities; and
• Promoting the welfare of LGBT+ people, by ensuring that the education system recognises and enables LGBT+ people to achieve their full potential, so they contribute fully to society and lead fulfilled lives, thus benefiting society as a whole.

You can find out more on the LGBT+ History Month website, where there's information and some downloadable presentations, webinars and videos exploring many aspects of UK and International LGBT+ history.