LGBT+ History Month 2021

#LONGROADLIFE Long Road Sixth Form College Applicant Newsletter

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LGBT+ HISTORY MONTH Hello, from Long Road!

February celebrates LGBT+ History Month, and at Long Road, we never shy away from wearing our rainbows with pride. This week we are bringing you a

Long Road Sixth Form College

special LGBT+ History Month newsletter to share with you all the amazing activities we have been involved in over the last month. Although we may not have been able to celebrate in person, lockdown hasn't stopped us from

@LR6FC

celebrating together!

@lr6fc

Remember to keep up-to-date with everything Long Road over on our social media channels

enquiries@longroad.ac.uk Keep smiling!

01223 631100

www.longroad.ac.uk

Long Road x

LGBT+ History Month 2021 Mind, Body and Spirit

PRIDE: THE HISTORY OF FREEDOM Written by student Marianna Kouznetsov “And we felt that we had freedom at last, or freedom to at least show that we demanded freedom. We weren't going to be walking meekly in the night and letting them shove us around – it's like standing your ground for the first time and in a really strong way, and that’s what caught the police by surprise. There was something in the air, freedom a long time overdue, and we were going to fight for it. It took different forms, but the bottom line was, we weren’t going to go away. And we didn’t.”

June 28, 1969. In the early hours of the

shouting took place on the street and

the streets, forming kick-lines in front of

morning, a riot broke out at the

exploded as activist Storme deLarverie,

the police, singing bawdy songs, and

Stonewall Inn in Greenwich

then a drag king and singer, fought

splashing the street in pro-LGBT

Village, in Manhattan, New York. Police

back against the four police officers

graffiti. Most of all, though, the

had staged a raid on the bar, knowing

trying to arrest her, managing to

protest sparked controversy,

that the bar was friendly to gay and

escape four times before being shoved

conversation, and cleared the way for

trans people (in a time when

into the back of a police van. As cries

future generations of LGBT activists

homosexuality was still a criminal

went up, she turned to the crowd and

and theorists to continue fighting for

offence, and anti-gay sentiment was

shouted: “Why don’t you guys do

recognition. Furthermore, the

rampant in the conservative, Christian

something?” The crowd, in that instant,

demonstration showed that the

society of the West). Despite initial first

fuelled by realisation and overdue

community were going to fight tooth

protests and escapes, they had begun

rage, became a mob. Trans activists

and nail, that they would willingly fight

to successfully make arrests as more

and self-declared “street queens''

and be arrested and die for one

people came outside to look upon the

Marsha P. Johnson and Silvia Rivera

another, and light candles at the

commotion. Tensions rose as patrons

were at the forefront of them all, and

graves of those who did; after

refused to give their ID, singing and

led a humiliating, two-night rebellion in

all, who else was going to?

PRIDE: THE HISTORY OF FREEDOM Written by student Marianna Kouznetsov Fighting spirit is the only way our

protests, everywhere around the world,

for celebration and equality, those who

community has survived. During WW1

ringing off buildings like war cries. But

were brave enough to love against the

and WW2, many gays and lesbians

quieter, too, in the silent pages of

law, against heaven and “against

went to war to escape their abusive or

books, on the ceilings of chapels, in

God.” We owe all the gay men and

neglectful home lives. In 1966 in a quiet

dust-covered diaries hidden in old

women who fought before us an

neighborhood cafe in San Francisco, a

chests, stories passed from mouth to

incalculable debt for living in the world

group of transgender customers

mouth and ear to ear, the fight for love

they did and still making art, taking

attacked police as retaliation for the

has always been there.

photographs and records, meeting in

years of harassment and

secret, talking in codes, writing poetry

discrimination. Seven years before

And for those who cannot fight; those

and novels, and smiling at the pages of

that in the same city, a raid on a donut

still closeted, still afraid, people around

the Iliad. How poignantly incredible

shop in between two gay bars turned

the world living in oppression: that is

and mind-blowing is it for us to know

into a fierce assault on the invading

who the fighting is for. Fighting in war,

that we have always and will always

police as they made arrests on drag

in the street, and fighting between

exist?

queens and sex workers. Even in the

ourselves for the recognition of queer

1960s Harlem underground ballroom

people of color and working class and

Gay history isn’t just history – it’s

scene, a typical voguing contest

transgender individuals: a centuries-old

legacy.

between two houses was alike as two

history of rebellion that is still added to

armies at war, two queens fighting for

today. But we owe it all to them, those

their title as two boxers colliding in a

who came before us, those who have

ring. The shouts at Pride marches and

ought before us and stood for love,

THE KITE TRUST

CONTACT THE KITE TRUST

Supporting young LGBTQ+ people in Cambridgeshire & Peterborough The Kite Trust was founded in 1993 by a

In 2020 they adopted a new strategic

small group of dedicated and

plan and expanded their work to cover

committed local people from all walks

all of Cambridgeshire, Peterborough

of life. They have since grown to

and surrounding areas.

01223 369508

info@thekitetrust.org.uk

become a leading organisation working with LGBTQ+ young people.

The Kite Trust offer a wide range of

www.thekitetrust.org.uk

resources for young LGBTQ+ people; They frequently work with local primary

from free one-to-one support sessions

and secondary schools, as well as Sixth

to social groups. They also host an

Form Colleges, across Cambridgeshire,

annual summer 'Camp Camp' for

delivering training to staff and students

LGBTQ+ people under the age of 25;

on LGBTQ+ issues.

giving you the opportunity to learn new

The Kite Trust

@TheKiteTrust skills and make friendships within the The Kite Trust support groups can be

LGBTQ+ community.

found in Cambridge, Ely, Huntingdon, Wisbech and Peterbourgh; supporting

We would like to personally thank The

the wellbeing and creativity of LGBTQ+

Kite Trust team for all the amazing

young people and working extensively

support and resources they have

with trans and gender questioning

provided our Long Road staff and

young people and their families.

students!

@thekitetrust

The Kite Trust

Albert Kennedy Trust (AKT) AKT supports lgbtq+ young

QUEER THEORY & AKT

Learning Support Assistant Mat gives a round up of our exciting events!

people aged 16-25 in the UK who are facing or experiencing homelessness or living in a hostile environment.

www.akt.org.uk

To celebrate and recognise LGBTIQ+

Alongside this we organised

History Month at Long Road Sixth Form

events by guest speakers. This year’s

College we organised a series of

guest speaker was from the Albert

events for students and staff

Kennedy Trust (AKT), a charity that

that explored Britain’s rich – but still

works with homeless LGBTIQ+ young

hidden! – Queer history.

people, and those at-risk of becoming

gethelp@akt.org.uk

homeless.

I put together a small session for

aktcharityuk

students and staff that was an

Our guest speaker gave a talk on the

introduction to ‘Queer Theory’.

continued importance of history month, outlining the progress that has been

@aktcharity

aktcharity

akt

This session focused on the

made in the liberation of LBGTIQ+

development of Queer Theory as an

people, but the work that still needs to

academic discipline, exploring it’s

be done to achieve equality.

emergence from Gender Studies and Literary Criticism, before looking at the

Freya then spoke about the work that

influences of Black Feminism, Marxism,

AKT does to help combat and prevent

and Anarchism in the development of

homelessness, and the support they

LGBTIQ+ liberation movements in

provide for homeless Queer youth.

Britain.

Stonewall No Bystanders Pledge

"I will never be a bystander to hateful language and abuse.

If I hear it, I will call it out and report it, and if I can, I will stop it.

By adding my name, I promise to stand up for fairness, kindness and to never be a bystander”

RAINBOW DAY

Celebrating LGBT History Month in style!

Rainbow day has become an annual

members of Pride Club also had out

event at Long Road Sixth Form

free rainbow badges and rainbow

College, with staff and students

stickers to really brighten up the day!

wearing rainbows in celebration of the first day of LGBT History Month.

All staff and students also have the opportunity to buy rainbow laces for

£1, with all money raised being

Throughout the day the Long Road

just

Pride Club run stands in our Learning

donated to The Kite Trust.

Resource Centre and Student Centre, inviting their fellow students and staff

Every year we are amazed by the

to sign the No Bystanders Pledge...

wonderful rainbow outfits worn by our staff and students, who share their

"I will never be a bystander to hateful

pride style with us on our Instagram by

language and abuse. If I hear it, I will

tagging us in their posts & stories!

call it out and report it, and if I can, I will stop it. By adding my name, I promise to stand up for fairness, kindness and to never be a bystander”

You can click here to sign the pledge yourself!

CELEBRATING DIVERSITY Equality & Diversity Poster Competition £30 for 2nd place and £20 for

Last year, all of our students were

place,

invited to enter a poster competition –

3rd place; alternatively, students could

the brief?

choose to take home some brand new

To design a poster that celebrates,

Art supplies allowing them to continue

inspires and/or educates our college

to explore and expand their creative

community about equality and

skills.

diversity.

Now, drum roll please as we announce We are pleased to say that an

our winners! Congratulations to…

overwhelming number of students got

1st place winner, Biagio Santoro!

involved, putting their artistic talents to

2nd place winner, Jacob Robinson!

the test!

3rd place winner, Shannon Casling!

But the real test came when it was

We’re looking forward to getting back

time to decide our top 3 winners, with

to college so we can print and display

all over of 5 judges being blown away

these wonderful posters for all our

by the creativity and talent of all of the

community to see!

entries.

For now, you can check them out on Up for grabs was a

£40 prize for 1st

the following pages!

Congratulations to Biagio Santoro, Jacob Robinson & Shannon Casling for winning our Equality & Diversity poster competition!

FEBRUARY 2021: LGBT HISTORY MONTH SPECIAL EDITION

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01223 631100

enquiries@longroad.ac.uk

www.longroad.ac.uk

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Long Road Sixth Form College

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