When Is LGBT History Month 2024 (& What Can You See)?

Less party than Pride, but no less important – nor is it lacking in fun stuff to do, says Tessa Dunthorne. Here’s the C&TH guide to LGBT Events for the history month in 2024.

LGBT History Month: Events For History Month 2024

What Is LGBTQ History Month?

Until 2003, Section 28 in the Local Government Act banned schools from discussing or publishing materials around queerness. The first attempt to repeal this act came in February two years prior – and now,  that step in the right direction is remembered with LGBTQ+ History Month.

February now celebrates the history of queerness across the country, and raises awareness of the achievements of those in the community today alongside those who came before. There are masses of activities taking place – so we’ve made a pick of what to do and see for a month of learning and entertainment.

What Is Happening For LGBTQ History Month 2024?

Many events have not been announced yet – we’ll update this page as we find out – but for a general sense of the kinds of events happening across LGBTQ history month 2024, read last year’s guide.

What Happened In 2023’s LGBTQ History Month?

February halfterm looking daunting? Head to the National Maritime Museum. From Elizabethan costume workshops (think big, think camp) to making Pride flag rainbow fish, expect brilliant educational activities aimed at kids to fill up that otherwise dreaded time off. rmg.co.uk

Craft time at the National Maritime Museum

Museums less your thing? London has a rich pick of theatre and plays which centre queer stories. The big hitter right now is the Garrick’s Orlando starring The Crown’s Emma Corrin as Virgina Woolf’s groundbreaking genderqueer character (until 25 February 2023, thegarricktheatre.co.uk). There’s also the critically acclaimed My Son‘s a Queer (But What Can You Do?) at the Ambassadors Theatre (until 18 March, atgtickets.com).

But don’t just limit your exploration to the big commercial plays – one of the joys of London’s theatre scene are the new plays and pieces springing up all the time. VAULT Festival is currently on, offering a curated programme of the best new writing and devised work. Given that a great deal of the most boundary breaking new work (see Fleabag, Six – or the aforementioned My Son’s a Queer) began their lives on the Fringe theatre circuit, you’d be remiss to overlook these. We recommend Queer Planet, which follows drag king Bi-Curious George discovering queer ecology à la a sexy and musical David Attenborough, or sapphic love story, How We Begin. Until 19 March, vaultfestival.com.

Things To Do For LGBTQ+ History Month Across The Wider UK

Mancunians are well catered for with the 2023 Queer Contact Festival, bringing a jam packed itinerary of drag queens, cabaret, spoken word and comedy. contactmcr.com

In Birmingham, the Museum and Art Gallery has some fantastic picks of art treasures that can be viewed through the queer lens. birminghammuseums.org.uk

For plays outside the capital, once again fringe workshops are a great place to start for more unusual picks. Bristolians, we recommend Lavender (8th February), a play exploring LGBT+ stories set against the backdrop of the eroding Devon Coastline, at the Wardrobe Theatre, followed by panel discussion. thewardrobetheatre.com

Running any events for LGBT+ history month 2024 that we should know about? Let us know – [email protected].

Featured image: The Garrick Theatre’s Orlando