Learn about the lives you have never lived this LGBTQIA+ History Month

People who identify – or who others identify – with more than one minority group experience social violence, oppression and disadvantage from all the different aspects of their minority identity. Black trans women are the archetypal minority within a minority – living with daily intersectional violence targeting women, trans people, trans women in particular, on top of racism.

Sadly, the gay scene has always been racist, with gay pride often being seen as a victory more for white, cis-gendered gay men than anyone else and the lack of effort and enthusiasm to champion the rights of other LGBTQIA+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans, Queer, Intersex, Asexual and other) groups by the most privileged contingent of the community is holding everyone back. Sadly, the gay scene has always been racist and sexist, while trans rights have been used to divide trans and cis-gendered LGB people.

As well as being denied opportunities for employment and advancement, subject to microaggressions in daily life, threatened with social and often physical violence, and oppressed by the apparatus of the state, from a hostile media to racist and transphobic politicians, it is also harder for LGBTQIA+ people to find other people who share their experience of life, who get them as people, who know what they have been through. Life as a Black, homosexual woman is different from life as a man, as a white person, and so on. This is part of the reason that LGBTQIA+ Pride owes such a debt (often overlooked and forgotten) to Black trans activists, who led the early movement only to be forgotten.

Support is also lacking for minority groups in Britain. We only have to look at support and care services to see the glaring lack of people from the global majority, trans people; in many cases, men are also lacking, and for things like counselling, this often matters. People want to be seen and having a therapist who has only book learning to go on to understand the pressures that are causing a person to suffer is a poor substitute for someone who has walked through the same flames themselves. Intersectionality leaves people attacked on all sides and with diminished support.

Be part of the solution

Happily, we can all be part of the solution. Talking about taboo subjects normalises them – from mental health to sexual identity, the best thing to do is to chat about how diverse we all are. If we are truly honest with ourselves, very few of us fit neatly into the social categories that are prescribed for us, as demonstrated by the once fundamental category of ‘race’ now being roundly rejected. I predict that as people feel increasingly safe getting to know themselves, more of the divisions assumed to be fundamental and biological determinants of who should belong to the social groups that enjoy the greatest privilege will soften and become much less distinct over time. Nothing is more radical than questioning the assumptions we have been handed down by past eras, looking at life with fresh eyes, and asking what we see.

Resources to help you to explore diversity

Of course, most people quite naturally find themselves surrounded by people who are very much like themselves. We are attracted to people who we feel are similar to us, people who make us feel comfortable and safe. The only trouble with this is that much of life lies beyond our direct experience, which makes it difficult to empathise. Happily, films, documentaries, novels, and more fun media let us vicariously experience what might be like to be someone other than ourselves. We have put together reading lists that comprise materials that make it quick and easy to find novels, films and more by and about socially disadvantaged groups, from people of the global ethnic majority, LGBTQ+ people, members of the Gypsy, Roma, and Traveller community so it is that much easier for you to expand your horizons from the safety and comfort of your armchair.

The page comprises a series of drop-down menus. Just tap/click on the blue heading box to view the sub-topics and then tap on a link to go to the ‘reading list’ which links to all the resources you might want.

• Click here to check out our diversity and inclusion resources here.
• You can jump straight to our LGBTQ+ resources by clicking here.