20 FEb 2023
LGBTQIA+ History Month Assembly
An assembly for LGBTQIA+ History Month.
Megan Hamilton, English Teacher, and Dan Gray, Drama Teacher, gave an interactive assembly this week for LGBTQIA+ History Month to Years 9-13. They started by giving a brief history of Pride and explained that Pride has a long history, rooted in political activism of LGBT+ communities around the world. Events in 1969 at the Stonewall Inn in New York sparked days of protest and this created momentum across the globe for change. In the UK in 1972 the Gay Liberation Front organised the first official Gay Pride Rally to help improve the lives of LGBT+ people living in the UK.
They explained that as rights and freedoms have improved over time that Pride has increasingly become about celebrating the LGBT+ community, their lives and their achievements as well as pushing for further change to improve the lives of people in the UK.
The assembly was very interactive with students and staff standing for a True and False Quiz. Students learnt answers to several questions such as; LGBTQIA+ couples were first allowed to adopt children in the UK in 2002, the UK parliament first discussed the existence of lesbianism in legislation in 1921 and 11 countries still have the death penalty for being gay.
They spoke about the importance of being an ally and what everyone in our community can actively do. This includes; being visibly supportive, listening, be informed, understand your own privilege, don‘t be a bystander, share knowledge about helpful people or organisations and let people speak about their own experiences (when they’re comfortable to do so).
A video message was shown from Daniel Radcliffe, who won the Celebrity Straight Ally Award. In the video, he said: “I’m sad that an award like this exists. I’m winning an award for basic human decency.” Dan Gray said: "The fact the award exists is an indication of where we’re at as a society." You can watch the video here: HTTPS://YOUTU.BE/AVVMDLLAD7G
The assembly concluded with a discussion about safe spaces, this could be a friend, a teacher, a TV show or a book series. An open invitation was put out to everyone to find out more at Seaford’s Pride Group - Plus, which is held every Monday, P8 in E6. Megan said: "It’s a safe space to be part of our community, to ask questions and to be an ally."
John Green, Headmaster, said: “Thank you to Miss Hamilton and Mr Gray for an excellent assembly. Remember, don’t be a bystander, we are an inclusive school. Last Friday was Random Acts of Kindness Day, think about how you can be kind to others, and how you can help and advise. The way you interact with someone can make a significant difference to what type of day they will have.”
More information can be found on The Wellbeing Hub, that all students, parents and staff have access to at Seaford. This link takes you to Celebrating Pride & The LGBTQIA+ Community by Alicia Drummond HTTPS://CLUB.TEENTIPS.CO.UK/RESOURCES/CELEBRATING-PRIDE-THE-LGBTQIA-COMMUNITY-BY-ALICIA-DRUMMOND-THERAPIST-FOUNDER-OF-THE-WELLBEING-HUB/