In Honour of LGBTQ+ History Month
By Frankie Herbert - Hypnotherapist, coach and Energy Healer
February 2023 marks 18 years of LGBTQIA2S+ history month which aims to highlight the work education charity, Schools Out, has done for the community since its launch in 2005. Each year they provide free resources for schools, businesses and organisations encouraging them to celebrate the importance of lesbian, gay, trans and queer + diversity.
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LGBTQIA+ history month is integral in highlighting how far the community has come in regard to our rights and visibility, but more importantly, where work is still needed to be done. Sue Sanders, the co-founder of LGBT+ history month, said in a 2019 interview with the BBC:
“The ignorance is profound. And the ignorance has been deliberately done. We [the LGBT+ community] have a history, but we have been denied it. It’s great we have the laws in place and we’re more visible, but who is visible? It’s white gay men. If you’re black, if you’re a lesbian, if you’re bisexual or trans – we have a lot of work to do.”
And that statement is still as relevant today, especially around the trans community despite the fact that black trans women of colour are the reason we have so many LGBTQIA+ rights today.
The culture of transphobia in the media and amongst UK politicians is directly contributing to deaths like Brianna Ghey, the 16-year-old trans girl recently murdered in broad daylight. Intimate details of her life are now being shared virally with the media directly responsible for spinning harmful rhetoric about the lives of trans people, consistently whipping up hate about them.
My story
I came out as pansexual almost two years ago, I always felt I was keeping part of myself hidden away, afraid of being truly seen. Being queer at school was still frowned upon with terms like gay bandied about as an insult. I remember my first lesbian experience at the age of 19 being seen by my then peers as shameful whilst the girl in question asked me to “never ever speak of this to anyone”. Back in the closet I jumped!
However, I soon began to find more friends within the LGBTQIA+ community as well as witnessingmore LGBTQIA+ inclusive content and media online.I felt it was safe to be true to myself; coming out was a big moment for me, -I felt free, proud and accepted.
I also recognise my immense privilege in being a cisgendered, white, able-bodied woman and that my experience of coming out as queer are hugely different to many members of the queer community especially trans people of colour. We can all make a difference in advocating for rights for all LGBTQIA+ people and use our privilege and our voices to highlight where work is needed
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Frankie is a Therapist and Holistic wellness practitioner whose practise is based in London.
Through hypnotherapy, reiki and coaching, and utilising her extensive holistic, spiritual, health and wellness training; Frankie understands that no two people are alike and works to tailor treatment to the individual. As a proud LGBTQIA2S+ woman, Frankie aims to work to provide a safe space to support everyone wherever they may be on their gender and sexuality journey.
Frankie Herbert