The University of Westminster has hosted a variety of events across its campuses throughout LGBT+ History Month. The month recognised all the achievements and milestones within the queer community and brought students, colleagues and the public together to celebrate queer lives and the stories they bring.
At Westminster's Little Titchfield Street site, the University’s Black History Year and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) teams held a Black Queer Art event as part of the third annual Queering Academia Conference, where attendees were welcomed to the Soho Poly to explore the archives of Jimmie Daniels. Daniels was an internationally renowned cabaret singer and an active part of New York’s nightclub scene during the Harlem Renaissance.
The event was hosted by poet and musician Kobi Essah Ayensuo, who has explored the archives in great depth with members of the Black History Year and Soho Poly teams. The event took place as part of a two-week residency held between 10-20 February at the historic theatre to give as many people as possible the chance to come and learn about Daniels’ work. As the residency neared the end, Ayensuo performed a love song to Black Queer lives titled We Were Here, We Are Here to capture the legacy Daniels left behind.
On 10 February, the University of Westminster’s Students’ Union (UWSU) hosted a student-only fair titled Making Queerstory at the Learning Platform on Westminster's Marylebone Campus. The fair brought Westminster students together to talk about their favourite parts of queer history, giving them a chance to discuss moments that shaped the LGBT+ community, fashion, the legal system and more.
Up next was the World in Westminster Cafe’s LGBT+ History Month event that took place on 12 February at The Hideaway on the University’s Regent Campus. During the celebration there were a variety of activities such as Queer Karaoke and a playful spin on the classic game Jenga. Students and colleagues also took part in a Queer Joy collage, where they contributed to a collaborative art piece capturing queer joy at Westminster.
On 13 February, Westminster’s Black History Year programme hosted a writing workshop titled Reclaiming, Unearthing Archives: Queerness, Ancestry and World Building. Participants were encouraged to bring materials to inspire their creative work such as a book, a quote from a revolutionary leader, a family photo, a tradition or a story in need for revival. From these materials, attendees learned how the past formed and created who they were and how they might have written.
This was followed by a UWSU-organised student-only event at the Regent Campus titled LGBTQ+ Asylum Stories. Taking place on 18 February, this was an interactive workshop to learn about the challenges LGBT+ people face when seeking asylum in the UK. It was a chance to gain knowledge, build advocacy skills and explore important issues in a creative way. The workshop was run in partnership with Iceandfire Theatre Company - Actors for Human Rights, who helped attendees understand the UK asylum process and the struggles people face to gain legal status.
On 22 February, the Activism and Social Change with Un Chant D'Amour event brought together film, art and discussion to explore themes of activism and social change. Attendees experienced a screening of Jean Genet’s Un Chant D'Amour. Once banned, the 1950 film has since become a powerful metaphor for the conflict between desire and institutional authority.
The event was part of the launch of this year’s Loudest Whispers exhibition. Over 400 people attended the launch at St Pancras Hospital’s art gallery, including the Mayor of Camden, the Chair, Chief Executive and Head of the Rainbow Network at Camden and Islington Mental Health Trust, and Peter Herbert of The Arts Project. During the event, Herbert led a discussion with the artists whose work was on display. This was followed by a thought-provoking panel discussion led by Professor Pippa Catterall, featuring experts on Genet and activism.
This year’s exhibition also featured four prize-winning pieces by Westminster students, who played a key role in installing the artwork with support from the Quintin Hogg Trust project Facing the Public. The event successfully highlighted the intersection of art, activism and social change, making a lasting impact on the attendees.
Photo: Professor Pippa Catterall (left) at the Loudest Whispers launch event with the Mayor of Camden, Councillor Samata Khatoon, the Co-chairs of the Rainbow LGBTQ+ staff network at North London NHS Foundation Trust James Gray and Anita Makropoulou, Trustee of the North London NHS Foundation Trust Dalwardin Babu , and Head of the Rainbow Network at Camden and Islington Mental Health Trust, and Peter Herbert, Curator of The Arts Project
On 25 February, the UWSU also held a student-only commUNITY Mixer, where students learnt how to make mocktails, which were served throughout the event. Attendees were welcomed by the UWSU’s Community Organisers who introduced themselves and talked about their role and how they work with students to make impactful changes.
On 27 February, the UWSU and Thirsty Thursdays hosted the fifth Open Miq+ Night in the Hideaway at Regent Campus for Westminster’s Q+ Colleague Network. The evening, hosted by celebrated drag king Don One, focused on the themes of LGBT+ History Month such as activism and social justice. Attendees were able to share messages of support and joy with each other through a message board corner and sing to all their favourite songs.
The month concluded with the eleventh National Student Pride (NSP) hosted by the University of Westminster which took place between 28 February and1 March on Marylebone Campus. NSP is the largest LGBT+ student event in the UK, with more than 2,000 LGBT+ attendees gathering from over 150 universities for a full weekend of events. These two days of celebrations offered career insights, music, awards and parties which were made for students, by students to support queer student experiences across the UK.
This series of events celebrating LGBT+ History Month directly contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 10: Reduced Inequalities. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.
Find out more about upcoming EDI events at Westminster.
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