LGBT+ history month

February marks LGBT+ history month: a month-long observance of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender history, and the history of the gay rights and related civil rights movements.

To celebrate this year’s theme of Activism and Social Change, we are highlighting the achievements of LGBT+ campaigners and activists and their contributions to social and legal change.

Key events and legal changes in LGBT+ history

Matrimonial lawyer Linda Pope identifies some key events and legal changes in LGBT+ history:

• 1951 – Roberta Cowell becomes the first known British trans woman to undergo reassignment surgery.
• 1958– The Homosexual Law Reform Society is founded to campaign for the legalisation of same-sex relationships in the UK.
• 1972 – The first Pride marchtakes place in London, attracting around 2000 participants. Today, Pride in London attracts up to a million people, with other events taking place throughout the country.
• 1988– Prompted by the introduction of Section 28, Sir Ian McKellen and others launch Stonewall (now the largest LGBT rights organisation in the UK) in order to lobby against Section 28 and other barriers to equality. The government later repealed Section 28 in 2003, and passed legislation giving LGBT+ people employment rights.
• 1994– The UK Crown Dependency of Isle of Man fully decriminalises homosexuality.
• 2000 – The UK Government lifts the ban on lesbians, gay men and bisexual people serving in the armed forces.
• 2002– Same-sex couples are granted equal rights when applying for adoption.
• 2004 – The Civil Partnership Act is passed and grants civil partnership in the UK.
• 2005– The first LGBT History Month is launched at the Tate Modern in London.
• 2014– The Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 comes into force.

This timeline is a reminder of the decades of campaigning from LGBT+ activists that led to gay and lesbian couples receiving the same right to marry as heterosexual couples, and the importance of celebrating their legacy.

Pioneering transgender women in LGBT+ history

Lilli Elbe

Danish artist, Lilli Elbe worked as an illustrator in landscape paintings. She often posed for her wife becoming the inspiration behind the works “Les Femmes Fatales”.

Christine Jorgensen

Became the first to publicly transition in the US. Christine embraced the publicity and began perming as a singer with her theme tune titled “I enjoy being a girl”.

Roberta Cowell

Born in England in 1948. Roberta led an extraordinary life with a career as a Grand Prix driver followed by a period as a front-line spitfire pilot during World War II.

Marsha P Johnson

Was a transgender black woman activist who lived in New York until her death in 1992. She is remembered as being involved in the Stonewall uprising fighting back against discrimination and police brutality, sparking a multi-day uprising that marked a turning point in the LGBTQ+ rights movement.

Linda Pope comments “It’s important to appreciate the strides that have been made to recognise the rights of transgender people around the world, whilst acknowledging that there’s still a long way to go.”

The contents of this article are for the purposes of general awareness only. They do not purport to constitute legal or professional advice. The law may have changed since this article was published. Readers should not act on the basis of the information included and should take appropriate professional advice upon their own particular circumstances.