Black History Month x Stonewall
This year Stonewall will be celebrating Black History Month by sharing experiences of Black LGBTQ+ people.
Every October, Black History Month is a celebration of all Black life, including Black lesbian, gay, bi, trans, queer, questioning and ace people.
For all of us at Stonewall, Black History Month is an opportunity to highlight the work and contributions of Black LGBTQ+ people, which are too often forgotten and erased.
The murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Tony McDade this summer sparked an unprecedented wave of international activism against structural racism that demanded reform and accountability in saying: Black Lives Matter. Black History Month comes at a time when there has never been more focus and attention given to the struggles and discrimination that Black people face in the UK and worldwide.
Black people have always been at the centre of the LGBTQ+ liberation movement from Marsha P. Johnson and Stormé DeLarverie, who were major figures in the Stonewall uprisings of 1969, to modern day LGBTQ+ leaders like Munroe Bergdorf and Lady Phyll.
This year Stonewall’s Black LGBTQ+ staff aim to highlight the incredible contributions that Black LGBTQ+ people and Black LGBTQ-led organisations are making throughout the UK, as well as share the richness of queer Black activism. Our Black LGBTQ+ staff aim to use our platform to provide a space to meaningfully centre a wide range of Black LGBTQ+ voices, with a particular focus on Black trans voices, when many of their experiences can be overlooked.
We will also share resources on how to be a better ally to Black LGBTQ+ people. If you want to get started, make sure you:
- Listen to the voices of a community that has been historically erased
- Support Black LGBTQ+ communities by recognising the privilege that you have
- Showcase those communities, be it in the workplace, in social spaces or just in your personal lives
Things you can do:
- Browse the resources below
- Book onto our Digital Workplace Workshop on being a better ally to LGBT people of colour
- Download our Black History Month resources for schools
There is more content planned for the rest of the month, so stay tuned to our social media channels!
Read the articles
This Black History Month, some of Stonewall’s Black LGBT staff have discussed the most effective ways to be an active ally to Black LGBT people.
Our Black LGBT staff have identified a number of Black-led LGBT organisations, community groups and social spaces that are doing incredible work and providing much needed support for Black LGBT people in the UK.
Black LGBT fundraisers for allies to support.
Read this article from Bex Shorunke, Senior Media Officer at akt
Five incredible individuals and organisations who are doing groundbreaking work to support the Black LGBT community.
Read the article from Nessakem, Assistant Social Media Coordinator at African Rainbow Family
Is homosexuality, rather than homophobia a “western import” as claimed by Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni?
Here are just a few of our heroes and the personal inspiration that they've given us
Three bold films by three Black-British writers, produced by Humblebee Creative’s Artistic Director Kamari Romeo.
Stonewall | BAME Voices
A series of videos directed by Cherish Oteka, and in partnership with Stonewall, to showcase the lived experiences of LGBT people of colour.