LGBT History Month, February 2009
- Media Booklet launch, 26 February, with Peter Tatchell
- Exeter History Pride Event
- Justin Fashanu Exhibition
- Phoenix Centre activities, 28 February
- Central Library activities, 28 February
- Cornwall Guidance for Schools Launch Conference, 9 February
- Devon Schools Toolkit
- Cornwall Records Office --- Open Panel debate
- Other!
- Onwards and Upwards
We'll be uploading pictures of these events as we gather them together.
The launch of Intercom's new Media Booklet, Being Out There, funded by the Equality and Human Rights Commission, in Exeter Guildhall.
Our very welcome Guest Speaker was the one and only Peter Tatchell, who gave an electifying speech, which we hope to make available on Intercom's website when it has been transcribed.
Photo: Alan Quick
It was the first ever LGBT Pride Event in Exeter, and it was a stunning success, with packed-out events throughout the day.
And it's all been achieved by local LGBT people and supporters from X-Plore, the Exeter LGBTQ Youth Group, Exeter University, Devon County Council, Devon and Cornwall police, Cartridges Solicitors, and others. Very best and deepest congratulations and thanks to everyone involved!
(Photos above: Alan Quick)
Check out the events below, and have a look at the new website at www.exeterlgbthistorypride.co.uk.
Justin Fashanu exhibition, all week
In Exeter Central Library all week there was an exhibition commemorating the life and local connections of Justin Fashanu, Britain's first £1m black footballer, who courageously came Out to his public as gay in 1990. (He was the first, and is still, even ten years later, the only professional footballer to do this). He had already encountered appalling homophobic prejudice in the '80s within this notoriously un-gay-friendly sport. Tragically, Justin committed suicide in 1998. For local media coverage of the exhibition, see:
www.thisisexeter.co.uk/news/Gay-player-8217-s-life-display/article-719635-detail/article.html, and
Family activities, Phoenix Centre
There were fun activities for all the family in the Phoenix Centre auditorium, including art, history, music, stalls, performances and workshops, and featuring an exhibition titled "Pride And", of artworks specially made for Exeter LGBTB History Pride by local artist Sahar Omar.
photo: Alan Quick
Outside, Gandy Street was busy with people on The Heritage Trail.
Central Library activities, Saturday 28 February
Story-telling with Claire Viner throughout the day, from a witty feminist pespective.
Bridget Garrood from Cartridges Solicitors gave a fascinating talk, "Laying Down the Law", on the legal histories behind LGBT rights, including some important but little-known draft legislation that never reached the statute-book.
There was a massively well-attended and exciting open discussion on Cultural Diversity, in the Music Room, led by a panel: Gill Hanscombe, poet, former journalist with Gay News, women's studies scholar, and author;Sue Sanders and Tony Fenwick, joint national chairs of LGBT History Month; Jeanie Lynch, Lead Officer for Equality and Diversity at Devon County Council Children & Young People's Services; Katherine Weston from Devon Records Office, chaired by Michael Halls from Intercom. This event was so successful that we plan to follow it up in the near future.
photo: Alan Quick
The Women's Space was also packed out, and was a brilliant pointer towards future developments.
Intercom and Cornwall Children Young People's and Family Services hosted a great all-day conference in St Ives, at which the draft Guidance for Cornwall Schools which we've produced in partnership with Cornwall County Council was launched for consultation.
Our schools worker Kate Sicolo (Anti-Bullying in Cornwall Project) gave an electrifying account of her and Paul's day at the annual Schools Out conference in London earlier in the month, where Kate provided a conference presentation on her work, and she and Paul then led a packed-out Intercom workshop. Cornwall County Council and schools, the multi-agency Anti-Bullying in Cornwall Project, and Intercom appear between us to be blazing a new trail towards practical mainstreaming of young LGBT people's needs and rights in their schools.
Devon History Month Toolkit for Schools
We worked with Devon Children and Young People's Services and Schools Out to produce an LGBT History Month Toolkit for Schools. Special thanks to Kate, our schools worker in Cornwall, to our colleagues in Devon Country Council, to Sue Sanders of School's Out, and to Jeane Nadeau who did so much work on the design and layout.
Cornwall Records Office / Royal Cornwall Museum
There was a terrific Open Panel Discussion in the Royal Cornwall Museum, hosted by Cornwall Records Office.
Photo: Cornwall County Council.
Ginny Harrison-White, Cornwall Children Young People and Family Services; Dr Gillian Hanscombe; Dr Kym Martindale; Sue Sanders; Michael Halls.
Wonderful attendance, and a lot of really sound strong debate. (E.g. with growing equality legislation, are LGBT people nowadays being assimilated into a broader mixed community, and if so should we welcome this, or do we want to try to maintain the unique identities of our different communities?)
We've had our displays out opn the road and promoted our work across Plymouth, Cornwall, Dorchester... Many many thanks to all our public-sector and community stakeholders for all you've done to mark History Month!
Congratulations to everyone who helped to make all this happen, and thanks to everyone who supported these events and helped to give LGBT History Month an increasingly vivid, positive and successful community and stakeholder profile across the South West peninsula.
Now we start planning for next year... and there are already new exciting partnerships on the horizon. Watch this space!