LGBTQ+ History Month 2023: Behind the Lens
Happy LGBTQ+ History Month!
LGBTQ+ History Month is celebrated in February in the UK every year. It recognises the struggles faced by the LGBTQ+ community, as well as events throughout history that have shaped society today.
Amplifying diversity, equity and inclusion is part of who we are at NKD, because we believe creating inclusive and equitable workplaces creates an environment where diverse talent can thrive and in turn, can create incredible work. LGBTQ+ History Month gives us a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the stories, voices and amazing work from LGBTQ+ trailblazers. This year we’re looking a little further afield as the team has found inspiration from the ‘big screen’…
LGBTQ+ History Month – The theme
The theme for LGBTQ+ History Month 2023 is ‘Behind the Lens’. The aim of this theme is to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community’s hard work and contributions made to the production of film and cinema from ‘behind the lens’. The types of roles that are being celebrated include directors, producers, actors, screenwriters and beyond.
2023 marks 20 years since Section 28, the law that banned “promotion of homosexuality” in the UK, was repealed. It was an attack on LGBTQ+ visibility. The law meant that local councils (e.g., schools, social care etc.) were not allowed to intentionally ‘promote’ homosexuality or publish material with the intention of ‘promoting homosexuality’. It also meant that they were prohibited from teaching in any maintained school the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship. This meant that there was a whole generation of LGBTQ+ people living in fear of being themselves. For example, with local councils not being able to acknowledge the LGBTQ+ community, which led them to not getting the relevant sex education that protects them and any advice on what a healthy relationship looked like.
Years of fighting for equality finally abolished this law in 2003 which was a massive breakthrough. Although there is still more work to be done in making sure the LGBTQ+ community is well represented and acknowledged, we are now seeing more and more LGBTQ+ stories and representation in film, television and media.
The power of LGBTQ+ film, television and media
Film, television and media can educate, empower and inspire. It can make you laugh, cry, or leave you speechless. But most importantly, is its ability to raise up marginalised voices and experiences to a global audience. This year the purpose of our LGBTQ+ History Month campaign is to connect with the theme and showcase some of the amazing work from the LGBTQ+ community ‘Behind the Lens’.
We have put together a calendar of films and documentaries for the month of February to immerse yourself in. Let’s celebrate the amazing work of LGBTQ+ directors, actors, screenwriters and beyond, that have shared their lived experiences on a global stage.
Click the link below to view our LGBTQ+ film calendar:
For more information on the LGBTQ+ ‘talent behind the lens’ head over to our Instagram to explore more!
There is so much more that we can do in making society a fairer, more diverse and inclusive place. For more content on LGBTQ+ History click here or our previous campaigns here. To talk about creating a more equitable workplace, get in touch with us.