Poole council has launched a series of events to celebrate the LGBT History Month this year and spread awareness about equality amongst its employees.
“We started the month with a drop in session for our staff followed by a showcasing of ‘Anti-homophobia sport exhibition‘ on the start of the month,” said Sue Newell, Corporate equality officer at the council.
The council is publishing articles on the first day of every week which will be covering a range of topics such as workplace equality, homophobic bullying in schools and LGBT equality around the world.
The council will be ending the month by flying a rainbow flag at the civic centre.
“Our LGBT employee group is working with us to help prepare the events and spread awareness within the staff,” said Newell.
Since 1 February around “20 employees have attended the event.”
“Our employee LGBT group had been dwindling the past years. However, this year due to drop in session we have had at least 20 employees attending them and one has even asked to join the employee LGBT group,” said Newell.
This year’s history month coincides with the Stonewall‘s workplace equality index results. According to Newell, the Poole council has managed to gain 7-9 positions since last year.
“We are now ranked at 174 of 339 public and private groups that take part in the index,” said Newell.
The LGBT History month is celebrated in February every year and for this year the theme is science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM).
Started by the Schools OUT organisation in 2005, the LGBT History Month is celebrating the life of Alan Turing , the war-time code breaker and computer pioneer, this year.
“We provide people with resources and tools to create their own events which can later be put on our events calendar,” said Tony Fenwick, co-chair of LGBT History Month.
The Christchurch group of Space Youth Project in Dorset has planned a quiz competition for its group members in light of the history month.
The history month has added Flying the flag and the history month poetry where in-house writers of Young Enigma provide “one poem for each day of the month.”
“We talked to the Schools OUT and offered to do one poetry each day of the month. It provides a great platform for the young voices of LGBT people to be heard,” said Adam Lowe an award-winning writer from Young Enigma.
In light of recent debates going around in UK on the gay marriage and the asylum seeker having to prove themselves as homosexuals by the UK Border Agency, the LGBT History Month is fighting to spread awareness and promote equality all around UK.
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Main Image: by Anna Metcalfe (jalapeokitten) via Flickr
