LGBTQ+ History Month 2026

Published: 20th January 2026

February is LGBTQ+ History Month

February is LGBTQ+ History Month and the Historical Association has spent a number of years ensuring that the ways in which the past has recorded and represented these communities has been included in our general output. A key issue of presenting the work of historians who are investigating this history is language and the understanding around different sexualities and lifestyles of the past. The people who make up the LGBTQ+ communities of today may not have described themselves or been described using current language or labels even a couple of generations ago while, running in parallel, legislation may have described or proscribed some of those communities in derogative and discriminatory terms. Further there are different terms, both official and slang, used in different regions and countries as well as across different time periods.

Coming soon: film – LGBTQ+ Histories in Britain up to 1785

For 2026 we have commissioned a short film – launching here on 28 January – with the highly-regarded academic Dr Declan Kavanagh of the University of Kent. The film will look at the history of the language of LGBTQ+, in particular the term ‘queer’ in its very recent usage and how the language of descriptors for these communities has been influenced. Dr Kavanagh draws our attention to the important work exploring these concepts that the esteemed French historian of ideas Michel Foucault was studying as part of his research. This new film will also examine some of the historic legal terminology that, in addition to marginalising peoples’ sexualities and discriminating against them, also carried with it moral judgements that affected individuals and groups at the time, and subsequently has impacted how we trace these histories.

Please be aware that some of the terms that Dr Kavanagh uses that are part of the historical terminology and were used in legal and societal contexts may seem upsetting to some people today; however, he is using them to be accurate in his explanation of the past.

In addition to our new upcoming film, which is part of a wider series looking at power and protest in Britain and Ireland, we also have resources that look at the development of the LGBTQ+ communities for civil rights recognition and the emergence of identities despite discrimination.

Primary 

Secondary

General resources

Podcasts