LEE IGNIRE

Being a non-binary lesbian student on the BA History course, I use archives and other sources to uncover LGBTQ+ lives from the past and I can see many echoes in our present.

The details can be as mundane as a lesbian who preferred pints to wine glasses in a 1940's pub, or as poignant as Gilbert and Gordon, two WWII gay soldiers expressing their love through postcards, wishing for more enlightened times.

I think we forget history happens to us too. When I was a child in the 1990's equal marriage wasn't a legal right. That only changed in my teens. This makes my marriage to my wife, who inspires and sustains me in my studies and beyond, an act of history in itself.

I challenge you to discover LGBTQ+ history this month and beyond. You'll find joy amongst struggle, humour amongst hate. You'll gain the confidence to embrace, advocate and celebrate your identity and, who knows, maybe make a little history yourself!'