February is LGBTQ+ History Month, marked each year to coincide with the abolition of Section 28 back in 2003. It’s time when we pay extra attention to try and break the silence that surrounds the lives of people who do not fit the conventional ideas about sexuality and gender. We look back at the histories that have often been left untold, and celebrate the beauty of being who we are without fear, while staying aware that there are remaining issues that need addressing and educating ourselves about the complexities that form us as human beings.
If you are coming to the Library this month, stop by our book displays and quotation boards dedicated to LGBTQ+ History Month at Docklands and Stratford – please do let us know your favourite films and books, too. You can also view a selection from our LGBTQ+ collections within Library Search – click on Collection Discovery – and see what else there is by searching the library catalogue.
There will also be a book reading and discussion at Stratford Library on the 9th February organised by the LGBTQ+ Staff Network. The group will be discussing chapters from Matthew Todd’s Strait Jacket. If you would like to attend, you can email lgbt.network@uel.ac.uk. You can also email to find out more about events such as films nights, socials, sports and more. All are welcome to all events.
Online, you can view our playlist of LGBTQ+ films, tv and radio programmes on Box of Broadcasts that explore LGBTQ+ issues and lives, or you check out the selection on our streaming service, Kanopy. Here you can see playlists for films and documentaries around LGBTQ+ History, Cinema, Artists, Romance and Activism, just to name a few.
You can also read LGBTQ+ poets and view plays through Drama Online and Digital Theatre+. This includes the landmark production, Angels in America, as well as Oscar Wilde plays and Carol Ann Duffy poetry.
Across the libraries and university there are lots of things going on, so check out the UEL website for details.
In the meantime, here are some book recommendations from the LGBTQ+ Staff Network:
Taylor Jenkins Reid- The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Sue Elliott and Steve Humphries- Not Guilty
Amelia Abraham- We Can Do Better Than This
Malinda Lo- Last Night at the Telegraph Club