LGBT+ History Month has been celebrated throughout February at the university every year since 2005. Its purpose is to raise awareness of LGBT+ history, celebrate people within the LGBT+ community and make progress towards a more equitable future.

For 2023, we have a variety of events and celebrations that staff and students can get involved in – including film screenings, talks and workshops, as well as opportunities to get creative and ask questions about LGBTQIA+ identities.

Highlights of the month include:

Over the Rainbow of Computer Science: Film Screening of The Imitation Game
Monday 20 February 2023, from 12 noon – 2pm
Computer Science Building, Room A07, Jubilee campus

The inspiring film ‘The Imitation Game’ is based on the real-life story of legendary cryptanalyst Alan Turing. Turing’s team, including Joan Clarke, analyse Enigma messages while he builds a machine to decipher them. Turing and team finally succeed and become heroes, but in 1952, the quiet genius encounters disgrace when authorities reveal he is gay and send him to prison. Before the screening, a short general knowledge quiz will be hosted to raise the awareness of the event’s participants about the LGBTQIA+ communities.

Global Queer Women’s Cinema: Film Screening of Bad Women of China and Conversation with He Xiaopei
Monday 20 February 2023, from 3pm – 5pm
Monica Partridge Building, room C14, University Park campus

This event consists of the screening of the 2021 film Bad Women of China and a post-screening Q&A with the queer feminist director Xiaopei He. The focus of the event is on global queer feminist cultural politics. This event asks: what would a queer, feminist and postcolonial queer feminist politics look like, and how is it manifested on screen and in storytelling? Who are the ‘unsung heroes’ working behind the screen?

Let’s Talk… LGBTQ+ in sport
Thursday 23 February, 5.30pm
Conference Room, David Ross Sports Village, University Park

We’re celebrating the inspiring students, alumni and staff who are breaking down barriers in the world of sport.

UoNSU Sports Officer Sean Nolan will be sitting down with three members of the University of Nottingham Sport community. They will share their experiences and stories of being out in the world of sport with the opportunity for you to ask questions and chat to the speakers during and after the event.

LGBTQIA+ reading list – borrow and suggest titles
Throughout February 2023 in all UoN Libraries

Find your next good read with Libraries’ LGBTQIA+ reading list of staff and student suggested titles including award-winning fiction, graphic novels, essay collections, poetry and more.

Do you have a favourite book by an LGBTQIA+ writer that’s missing from the list? Let Libraries know by completing the online form. Libraries will add suggestions to the shared reading list and purchase as many of the titles as possible.

Most titles from the reading list are available from our libraries in print or ebook format. Click through on the reading list to check availability on NUsearch, its location in our libraries or to place a Click and Collect request.

Unmuting ourselves: an exhibition showcasing projects in support of the LGBT+ community
A short film offering a virtual tour of one of our main events during LGBT+ History Month 2022 called ‘Unmuting ourselves: an exhibition’.

Deconstructing rainbow flags: creative drop-in
People are invited to drop in and design rainbow flags that celebrate their different identities. These might be revisiting current LGBTQ+ flags, inventing new ones, considering how to represent allied and intersectional identities. This is a space for thinking about why we have rainbow flags, who these are for, how they might evolve in future. Participants are invited to share designs and ideas within the space, as well as with university colleague’s post-event. Creative materials and refreshments are provided.

Find a full list of events to get involved with for this year’s LGBT+ History Month celebrations.