LGBT+ History Month 2021

February is LGBT+ History Month, it is a month where we celebrate of the lives of those in the LGBT+ community and an opportunity to remember and reflect on the history and struggle of the LGBT+ movement.  

Members of the LGBT+ community have faced, and continue to face, additional obstacles and unfair discrimination due to their sexuality or gender identity.  

At Metanoia Institute we stand shoulder to shoulder with our students, staff and peers who identity as LGBT+ acknowledge and recognise additional barriers they continue to face due to their sexuality or gender identity. 

We have previously supported our LGBT+ students and community at events such as London Pride https://metanoia.ac.uk/prospective-students/equality-and-diversity/equality-and-diversity-events/overview-of-metanoia-institute-at-pride-london/ and continue to acknowledge that although today Pride is celebrated, it was started as a protest as a fight to gain equality.  

As a proudly diverse organisation, we oppose all forms of discrimination and believe we are stronger when we stand together against oppression. We are proud of our organisational values https://metanoia.ac.uk/about/our-vision-mission-and-ethos/ .  Our work on equality will continue to grow through our Equality and Diversity Committee https://metanoia.ac.uk/prospective-students/equality-and-diversity/mi-equality-and-diversity-committee/ 

Although today in the sector we recognise and celebrate diversity, we must also pause and reflect on previous treatments of members of the LGBT+ community, as we have recently done in our mental health series of webinars.  

In these challenging times, we must not hider from our commitment for full equality for all, as members of the LGBT+ community continue today to face unfair harassment and discrimination.  

This discrimination had historically been labelled just as a “debate” or a “concern for adolescence” Section 28( https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1988/9/section/28 ) which was only repealed in February 2003 (Scotland 2000). It should now be a concern for all who strive for equality for all, that there appears to be an increase of similar patterns of harassment being applied to other segments of the LGBT+ community.  

We must continue to use our platform to promote queer voices and challenge heteronormative behaviour.  We are extremely proud that the keynote for our Research Academy in 2021 is DR Vikram Kolmannskog  discussing Queering psychotherapy training & research https://metanoia.ac.uk/cpds-events/research-academy-2021/ 

Finally, we should also be proud that Metanoia Institute history is LGBT+ History, as Lucy Watt beautifully described in this article when she was remembering 50 years of Pride and discussing our founders.  https://metanoia.ac.uk/prospective-students/equality-and-diversity/equality-and-diversity-events/lgbtqplus-article/