LGBT+ History Month

LGBT+ History Month was founded in 2004 and first celebrated in February 2005, within 18 months of the repeal of Section 28 in England and Wales. The month was founded by Sue Sanders and Paul Patrick of Schools Out, an LGBT education organisation.  

The 2026 theme is Science & Innovation. The theme aims to highlight:

the harm that LGBT+ people have historically faced as a result of the ways in which science has been explored and misapplied in the past, such as through the medicalisation and pathologisation of LGBT+ identities, and how we still need to address this today.

The organisers have chosen five “LGBT+ historical figures” in line with the theme. They are:

• 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 botanist 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.

This Debate Pack provides statistics on the UK’s LGBT+ population, and an overview of the developments regarding UK legislation and the rights of LGBT+ peoples from 1533 up until the present day.