LGBTQ+
KNOW YOUR HISTORY!
This month is LGBT+ History Month, so we have a packed lineup of queer events in Sheffield where we can learn about and celebrate our histories and communities. The LGBTQ+ youth charity SAYIT have plenty going on and will be hosting a range of events throughout the month which I’ll be taking you through (have a closer look at sayit.org.uk). Over at Weston Park Museum, we have The Surprising and Subversive History of the Drag King (Tue 6 Feb), an exhibition looking at the popularity of drag kings in the UK and in the US, the similarities and differences between the British kings and those who performed in America, and the resurgence of drag kings today. Also at the museum we have LGBTQ+ Artefacts: LGBTQ+ representation in the archives
(Tue 27 Feb) taking a insightful trip through the LGBTQ+ archives at Sheffield Museums and Sheffield Libraries. At their centre at Star House, we have “We need more than medicine” – The AIDS Crisis Then and Now on Tue 20 Feb, with panellist Steve Slack (former SAYiT CEO and Director of Sheffield’s Centre for HIV) talking about his experiences as the epidemic ravaged the LGBTQ+ community. Liz Wilson also returns to explain how her work in sexual health changed due to AIDS, alongside Dr Naomi Sutton discussing how the medical community worked to combat the virus, and where we are today: the advances in healthcare, who have benefited, who remains at risk, and why. You can join SAYIT online for the Working With LGBTQ+
Young People Forum (Thu 1 Feb) providing an update on current issues affecting LGBTQ+ communities and Counting Queers (Mon 5 Feb) looking at effective gender and sexuality data collection and monitoring. SAYiT will also be at Central Library for Section 28: Coming Out At School: 1988-2003 (Thu 1 Feb), where a panel of LGBTQ+ people will discuss how the Section 28 law blighted their school lives, and how they discovered community outside the school gates. My Mind On Paper: How We Found Ourselves in Queer Literature (Wed 21 Feb) will see LGBTQ+ writers and readers discussing which books, poems or scripts opened a whole new Queer world to us. Central Library will also be joining with DocFest for a
screening of Obscuro Barroco (Wed 7 Feb) – a documentaryfiction about the dizzying heights of gender and metamorphosis following the path of iconic trans figure Luana Muniz, plus a talk with award-winning poet Andrew McMillan (Thu 29 Feb) about his hotly anticipated debut novel, Pity, which explores masculinity, sexuality and post-industrial decline in South Yorkshire. Tune into Sheffield Live every Thursday for Diversity Fest Radio who will be marking History Month with a line-up of LGBTQ+ guests including musician Robyn Gair (Thu 1 Feb), trans rights campaigner Vicky Laylor (Thu 8 Feb) and yours truly, Heather Paterson (Thu 22 Feb). There’s live music at The Greystones courteousy of gifted pianist, singer, songwriter and composer Belinda O’Hooley (Fri 23 Feb) as part of her solo tour. And, of course, we have plenty of drag throughout the month! The legendary King Confuza heads to his new home at FORGE Warehouse for Cryptid Queers #7: Go Big Or Go Home! (Sat 17 Feb) with a lineup including Cadaverous Black, Manly Mannigton and Draven and two rooms of music with legendary DJs Kohl, Gillywoo and L8N providing an eclectic mix of contemporary and classic alternative genres each delivered with their signature style. Connie Dom is back at Crookes Social Club with her latest show, CONNIE: My Own Soulmate (Sat 17 Feb) and you can catch the iconic Bipolar Abdul at Sheffield Plate with Drag Me To Tuesdays Quiz and Bingo (Every Tuesday) – an unfiltered jokefest and most glam quiz in town. As ever, there will be drag aplenty at the Malin Bridge Inn who’s line up this month includes The Miss Bella End Show (Sat 10 Feb), Tanya Minge’s Drag Queen Bingo (Fri 16 Feb) and Sassy Saturdays with DJ Brooke (Sat 24 Feb). That’s your lot for this month! Make sure to check out the latest event announcements at www.facebook.com/ sheffieldlgbtevents.
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