LGBT+ History month always reminds me to be thankful for all the sacrifices that previous generations have made to allow our LGBTQ+ society to be able to live their best lives today.
One of the most accessible influences of LGBTQ+ history on a personal level has been through music growing up listening to musicians who were open or opened up about their sexuality during their career, such as Freddie Mercury, Elton John, Boy George, George Michael, The Indigo girls and Melissa Etheridge to name but a few. Their courage to come out as their trueselves despite the media backlash of the time has paved a way for artists today such as Sam Smith, Adam Lambert, Demi Lovato and Years & Years to celebrate who they are.
As a society in general I feel that the LGBTQ+ community have grown stronger and nowadays there is not as much as a stigma in coming out. There are certain events that I remember clearly from the 2000 onwards. A friend being distressed that they had not told me they were gay and being utterly floored when I was completely accepting. A lesbian couple I was friends with who, rather than upset anyone went outside to share a new year embrace. Move on a couple of decades and that friend is now married to his husband and my friends are now more empowered to show affection in public on occasion.
By remembering the history of the LGBTQ+ community it reminds me that there is still more that needs to be done but we should also celebrate the progress that has been made in the last 50 years.
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