DCMS: Why LGBT+ History month matters

This month is LGBTQ+ history month and to celebrate DCMS employee Indiana offers her reflections on LGBT+ History

Since 2005, the month of February is marked as a reflection of LGBT+ history here in the United Kingdom. It is a time to claim our past, celebrate our present, and create our futures.

Although it appears to be a phenomenon denoted in the 20th and 21st Centuries, queer history in reality dates back to the times of Ancient Civilisations. Observed in Ancient Celts by Diodorus who mentioned that men openly preferred males to their female counterparts, right through to the Ancient Greeks such as Saphos born of Lesbos island who expressed her deep admiration of both sexes in her poetry. This gives modern day context as to the origination of the terms “Sapphic” and “Lesbian”.

With the passage of time into the Middle Ages and the Renaissance came convergence of thought. Gradually, more and more mediaeval scholars, organisations and other groups denounced homosexuality as immoral such as Thomas Aquinas who coined homosexuality as a crime only second to murder. This lead to capital punishment, public displays of humiliation and torture for any queer act either seen or conspired. We witnessed a dark age for hundreds of years after, where even queer people who existed were either not documented, or had to hide who they were out of fear of death. But we were there, and always were.

As the paradigm started to shift towards a more secular society, scientific research was advancing and in particular, psychology started to break through and was in part largely used to explain or “try to treat” homosexuality. In the 17/1800s, homosexuality was seen as a symptom of psychopathic behaviour (Ulrichs & von Krafft-Ebbing, 1886) and although the death penalty had been removed via Section 61 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861, the stigma remained and imprisonment was still practised. But yet, there still remains evidence of existence such as in the Napoleonic Wars there were ballads of “cross-dressing” females who would dress as male soldiers to be “female husbands” to other women.

Moving into the 20th Century and particularly around WW2, homosexuality was still criminalised and seen to be of an “insane mind” with admittance to asylums/jails frequent. One key British figure that came to light was Alan Turing, one of the key masterminds behind the Colossus Computer which was designed to break the Enigma codes of the Nazi War Machine. Turing’s work helped to save the lives of millions and, according to some historians, shortened the war by roughly 3 years. But once his sexuality was discovered, Turing was punished and sadly passed away aged 41.

Landmark events and historical figures such as Turing ignited the fight for equality. With psychological research falsified, no medical evidence into the “gay gene” and a shift towards a more accepting society, homosexuality was finalised decriminalised in 1967 (with final measures passed in 2003). But the stigma still remained, especially during the HIV/AIDS crisis of the 80s and 90s.

We therefore mark LGBT+ HIstory Month to reflect on this past and commemorate those who were silenced, hidden, mistreated or, indeed, not even known for who they really were.

DCMS itself has played an important part in the 21st Century to allow greater legislative equality, with the milestone Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act passed in 2013, led by the then Secretary of State, Maria Miller, supported by the former Prime Minister, David Cameron. The theme for this year's LGBTQ+ History month is “Medicines”, dedicating it to all the LGBT+ healthcare who have contributed to the field of healthcare both today and past.