Celebrating LGBTQIA+ History Month at SWLSTG – February 2026
LGBT+ History Month UK is celebrated every year throughout February. Organised by Schools Out UK, the month commemorated that “For so long LGBT+ people’s history was hidden, following the repeal of Section 28 Schools OUT created UK LGBT+ History Month to: claim our past; celebrate our present, and create our future. We wanted to create a dedicated space to celebrate our rich and diverse history, herstory and their story.”
As a Trust, we use the abbreviation LGBTQIA+ to intentionally include and raise awareness of those who identify as Queer, Questioning, Intersex and Asexual. The “+” is there to represent the myriads of other communities under our umbrella, including (straight) allies.
2026 theme: Science and Innovation
“Science and innovation impact 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. Diverse teams are essential for the development of solutions which benefit everyone, yet we might often struggle to name LGBT+ scientists and innovators. 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.
Alongside celebrating LGBT+ people, it is important 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.” LGBT+ History Month 2026 - LGBT+ History Month
LGBTQIA+ at SWLSTG
Our Trust is fully committed to all Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, intersex, Asexual, Non-binary, Gender identity and expression, and the myriad of other communities, identities and expression under the LGBTQIA+ umbrella that represents our staff, service users, patients and community.
Our Trust’s LGBTQIA+ Staff Network works to create a safe, supportive, and fair environment at the Trust so that LGBTQIA+ colleagues and patients receive the respect and compassion which they deserve. The network’s vision is (i) to create a welcoming community, (ii) who advocate for what is right, (iii) and support each other through hard times
The staff network is organising a plethora of internal staff events throughout this month to create further awareness, advocacy and support amongst our staff.
