public policies
"A public policy is a concept of political science which designates the “interventions of an authority vested with public power and governmental legitimacy in a specific area of society or territory”.
For an LGBTQIA+ History Month
LGBTQIA+ History Month has been held around the world for several decades. Could it one day exist in France?
Brief summary
LGBTQIA+ History Month is an annual celebration highlighting the history of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and civil rights movements. Its origins date back to 1994, when Missouri high school history teacher Rodney Wilson created it.
Since then, LGBTQIA+ History Month has highlighted key figures and role models, helped strengthen the LGBTQIA+ community and is synonymous with a commitment to LGBTQIA+ people.
This special month of celebration is observed in several countries including Australia, Canada, Cuba, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the UK and the USA.
In the US, Canada and Australia, it is celebrated in October to coincide with National Coming Out Day on 11 October, as well as to commemorate the historic marches in Washington in 1979 and 1987 in support of LGBTQIA+ rights.
Sometimes referred to as Queer History Month, these celebrations offer new and unique opportunities to highlight advances in favour of LGBTQIA+ rights, to recall the history of struggles, to revive memory, to promote equality and diversity, and to combat LGBTQIA+phobia by highlighting our collective memory. Finally, it can inspire new generations to continue the fight for the rights and recognition of all LGBTQIA+ people.
And in France?
Ten years after the opening up of marriage and adoption to same-sex couples, homophobia, biphobia and transophobia are not receding, as the recent report by SOS Homophobie proves.
LGBTQIA+ centres under attack, homophobic chanting in stadiums, violence (moral and physical) against LGBTQIA+ people, harassment at school... All this leads to isolation, creates trauma and sometimes, unfortunately, leads to the worst...
Convinced that history and memory could be mobilised to combat LGBTQIAphobia but also to mobilise the LGBTQIA+ community and their allies, we believe that creating an LGBTQIA+ history month in France and even at European level could be a new tool to serve the community. Such a month could have many positive repercussions. It could provide more resources to keep culture alive, it would help preserve our LGBTQIA+ memory and archives, and it would increase awareness of our struggles.
In France, several organisations have tried to bring this month to life. Will we soon see a history month? Let's talk about it and move the idea forward.