How To Celebrate LGBT History Month 2024 In Your Workplace

Megan Lupton Official Author Picture
Digital Copywriter
LGBT History Month

In the diversity and inclusion calendar, it is important to recognise LGBT History Month every February ahead of LGBT Pride Month in June. The two events work together to educate people on historic LGBTQ+ events, celebrate equality milestones and improve LGBTQ+ equality in the United Kingdom. 

This LGBT History Month, it is important to recognise the event in the workplace, in schools and at home. In a corporate environment, where diversity and inclusion are vital for performance and wellbeing, honouring LGBT History Month makes a meaningful difference to employees.  

Contents:

When is LGBT History Month 2024? 

LGBT History Month is recognised from the 1st to the 28th of February 2024. In the UK, the event is honoured in February to coincide with the abolition of Section 28 in 2003, which prohibited the “promotion” of homosexuality.  

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What is the theme of LGBT History Month 2024? 

The theme of LGBT History Month 2024 is 'medicine', highlighting the work and lives of historical LGBT+ people who worked in medicine, including healthcare. 

Source: LGBT History Month

Why is LGBT History Month important? 

In the workplace, a recent survey found that 25% of the LGBTQ+ community have experienced discrimination based on their orientation, and 31% reported feeling unhappy or depressed. These statistics alone highlight the importance of informative awareness events like LGBT History Month. 

LGBTQ+ history is often left out of the school curriculum, leaving many people unaware of such events as the Stonewall Riots in 1969. In February, LGBT educators strive to bridge this knowledge gap with informative events and seminars.  

Hire an LGBT Speaker 

One of the most powerful ways to inspire meaningful action in your employees is with an LGBT speaker. These insightful figures have dedicated their lives to educating audiences with their personal stories of perseverance in the face of discrimination. Attendees come away with a new perspective on the LGBTQ+ fight for equality.  

Top LGBT Speakers for LGBT History Month 2024: 

The perfect addition to both virtual and in-person events, an LGBT speaker has the passion and knowledge to resonate with audiences. You want your LGBT History Month event to have a meaningful impact, so hire an orator who will leave audiences empowered to take a stand against discrimination. 

Host an Inclusion Training Workshop 

Differing from corporate events, inclusion training workshops are hands-on, interactive occasions that encourage attendees to question their biases. Commonly hosted by an experienced, powerful speaker, such workshops aim to incite meaningful change in a workplace team.  

Our Top Pick: Gareth Thomas 

Gareth Thomas is one of the most empowering LGBT hosts available to book. He shattered gender and sexual stereotypes when he came out as gay, following a long, successful career in rugby. Such an experience makes Gareth the perfect training workshop leader, as he is equipped with personal stories and actionable takeaways to resonate with attendees.  

Read feedback from our client, Shop Direct, following Gareth’s engagement at their LGBTQ+ Pride event: 

Gareth was amazing yesterday, such a lovely friendly guy, and his talk was extremely emotional and powerful. We have had some fantastic feedback. Please pass on my thanks to Gareth, it was great to have him here taking part in our Pride events for 2019. 

Support a Queer-Owned Business 

A fantastic way to recognise LGBT History Month is by supporting a queer-owned business, who have likely faced prejudice on their entrepreneurial journey. Hire an LGBTQ+ catering company for your team social or treat your employees to some baked goods from a queer-owned store, to celebrate History Month in style.  

Though it is important to incorporate queer-owned businesses into your buying habits all year round, February is the perfect month to kickstart your research and start offering support to local organisations! 

Deliver an Inclusion Proposal 

The most meaningful way to recognise LGBT History Month in the workplace is to start with your own company. It is easy to post an LGBTQ+ flag on LinkedIn, but real, meaningful action includes making an inclusion pledge or improving your discrimination policies.  

A great place to start is with an inclusion proposal. These written plans outline how you will improve diversity and inclusion within your company, and protect the LGBTQ+ community at the same time. This may look like updating your policies, investing in a diversity consultant, like Perrine Farque, or clamping down on homophobic bullying and bias.  

Brush Up on Your History 

The purpose of LGBT History Month is to educate and inform. With so many people unaware of LGBT events and figures in the past, use February 2024 to teach your employees the importance of LGBTQ+ history.

In February, host a viewing of queer films for your workplace. This relaxed approach to education will be both informative and enjoyable, making it more likely to have a positive impact on your employees. Speakers like Justin Bengry, who spearheaded the UK's first MA in Queer History, are on-hand to educate your employees on the successes and strifes of the LGBTQ+ community.  

Once your employees understand the importance of supporting the LGBTQ+ community, make sure to put out donation boxes for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans+ charities throughout your workplace.  

How to Book an LGBT Speaker?

To book an LGBT speaker ahead of LGBT History Month, simply contact The Motivational Speakers Agency by filling in our online contact form or by calling a booking agent directly on 0207 0787 876

Megan Lupton Official Author Picture
Digital Copywriter

Having completed a Masters in Creative Writing, Megan is found regularly contributing to the company blog, where she discusses everything from the latest socio-political news stories to self-improvement. Joining The Motivational Speakers Agency in 2019, Megan is also responsible for a variety of creative content, like contributing to the online presence of those we represent across the website.

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