February is LGBT History Month, and there are plenty of events happening across the country to help you celebrate. But how did the month come about and when did it start? Here’s everything you need to know.

By Laura Wybrow

Published: Tuesday, 07 February 2023 at 12:00 am

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Although celebrating the LGBTQ+ community should be a 365-day-a-year, every year event, did you know there’s a specific month when we celebrate the community and learn about LGBTQ+ history?

LGBT History Month is an annual, month-long celebration of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender history, educating us on the history of gay rights and civil rights movements, as well as queer artists, academics, historians and pioneers.

The month was founded in 1994 by American high-school history teacher Rodney Wilson, and in the UK, it was launched in 2005 by Schools OUT co-chairs Paul Patrick and Sue Sanders. The annual event works to highlight role models and build a sense of community, and the UK’s LGBT History Month has the tagline, “Claiming our past. Celebrating our present. Creating our future.”

Mathematician Alan Turing and artist and artist Keith Haring are among the icons who have been celebrated during LGBT History Month in the past. In 2023, the theme of LGBT History Month is Behind the Lens and it commemorates LGBTQ+ identifying individuals’ contributions to cinema and film from beyond the camera. The icons celebrated this year include Lindsay Cooper, Ismail Merchant, Tony Richardson, and Sophie Xeon.

Although the month is a celebration of queer history, it also raises awareness for issues faced by LGBTQ+ people today.

With thousands of events planned up and down the UK in February and March, from talks and tours to theatre shows and drag performances, the RadioTimes.com team wanted to add a few recommendations of our own! We have an eye for the best activities in the UK – just take a look at our guides to the best immersive experiences and VR experiences in London and you’ll see what we mean.

So, without further ado, here are the top UK experiences you can do to celebrate LGBT History Month in 2023.

Stay up to date with our Going Out section for more top experiences across the UK.

Best UK events to celebrate LGBT History Month at a glance:

• Family Queer Botanical Drawing Session, from £10
• Stand-up comedy in Earlsfield, £11
• Absolutely Britney Bottomless Brunch, from £16
• A Gay and a Nongay Podcast at Just For Laughs London, £17.50
• Sound of the Underground, from £18
• Proud Every Day with your glorious host Sue Perkins at Just For Laughs London, £23
• My Son’s a Queer (But What Can You Do?), from £24
• David Bowie London Walking Tour for Two, £32
• Romantic Classics by Candlelight, £35
• Arlo Parks tickets, £35
• Now That’s What I Call Bottomless Brunch, £55
• Guided Tour: Love Stories of Liverpool for two, £213.50

Best UK events to celebrate LGBT History Month 2023

Sound of the Underground

One of the RadioTimes.com writers knows somebody who went to see this last week, and they said it was one of the best queer performances they’ve ever seen. Holding this review to the same standard as Radio Times’s TV and film reviews, we urge you to go and see Sound of the Underground.

Not too dissimilar to the Girls Aloud song, the underground is the sound of duct tape, lighting cigarettes, jangling tips, and chaos. In Travis Alabanza’s first play for the Royal Court, the British performance artist shines a spotlight on London’s underground club culture and what it means to get your money’s worth when experiencing art.

Buy Sound of the Underground tickets from £18 at Lastminute.com

For more London theatre shows, check out the best West End shows.

Absolutely Britney Bottomless Brunch

It’s Britney, brunch! At The Bread Shed in Manchester, you’ll enjoy a live show from the UK’s top Britney Spears tribute act and dance along to songs like Toxic and Gimme More. There will also be fabulous drag performances by your hostess Miss Blair, and guests. All this entertainment is bound to make you thirsty, so enjoy 90 minutes of bottomless drinks, plus delicious brunch dishes.

Buy Absolutely Britney Bottomless Brunch from £16 at Fever

My Son’s a Queer (But What Can You Do?)

This joyous and celebratory play of growing up queer is the perfect performance to see this LGBT History Month. When Rob Madge ⁠— the creator and star of My Son’s a Queer (But What Can You Do?) — was 12, they attempted to produce and star in a Disney parade in their home to an audience of one: their grandma. Madge took on the roles of Mary Poppins, Mickey Mouse, Ariel and Belle, and their dad became the stage manager, sound technician and Goofy. Sounds like a recipe for disaster, right? Right.

Buy My Son’s a Queer (But What Can You Do?) tickets from £24 at London Theatre Direct

A Gay and a Nongay Podcast at Just For Laughs London

Just For Laughs London is a comedy festival held at The O2 in London from 2nd-5th March this year. It will welcome comedy stars from across the world, including James Barr and Dan Hudson, the stars of the UK’s number one LGBTQ+ podcast.

Buy A Gay and a Nongay Podcast tickets for £17.50 at Ticketmaster

Proud Every Day with your glorious host Sue Perkins

Also at Just For Laughs London this year is Sue Perkins, most notably known for her comedic partnership with Mel Giedroyc and as a former host of the Great British Bake Off. Perkins will be leading an event titled Proud Every Day with your glorious host Sue Perkins, a panel event featuring a stellar line-up of LGBTQ+ comedians.

Buy Proud Every Day with your glorious host Sue Perkins tickets for £23 at Ticketmaster

Family Queer Botanical Drawing Session

Ever wondered how botany can be queered and how queerness can be botanical? Well here’s your chance to find out with the Family Queer Botanical Drawing Session at Chelsea Physic Garden in London. This family-friendly drawing session explores plants through painting, and there’s the opportunity to enjoy the gardens before the session, too.

Buy Family Queer Botanical Drawing Session tickets from £10 at See Tickets

For more unique things to try in London, take a look at the best immersive experiences and the best escape rooms.

Guided Tour: Love Stories of Liverpool

LGBT History Month is all about celebration, so take a look back at some of the greatest love stories of all time and get some date night inspiration with this two-hour walking tour. Your guide will share with you the best places to take your loved one in Liverpool, as well as historical love stories.

Buy Guided Tour: Love Stories of Liverpool for £213 per couple at Fever

Take a look at the top walking tours in London and the best Cambridge punting tours.

Romantic Classics by Candlelight

What could be more romantic than a candlelight concert? One specifically called Romantic Classics by Candlelight, of course! Treat your partner to a brilliant programme by classical musicians, as well as the chance to meet three of the UK’s leading virtuosos, plus a glass of wine and canapés. Not that you need any excuse to plan something sweet, but a celebratory month calls for a celebration.

Buy Romantic Classics by Candlelight for £35 at Fever

Here are the best UK candlelight concerts.

David Bowie London Walking Tour for Two

David Bowie was fluid in gender, music, and fashion, and refused to categorise himself or conform. In this guided walking tour, you’ll begin in Brixton, wander through Soho and finish at Tottenham Court Road. You’ll visit legendary music venues, Tin Pan Alley and the spots which feature on Bowie’s album covers, plus hear anecdotes about Bowie’s life.

Buy David Bowie London Walking Tour for Two for £32 at Virgin Experience Days

Now That’s What I Call Bottomless Brunch

Now that’s what I call a mighty camp time! Drag performers host this Birmingham brunch which features bottomless drinks, delicious food options and the best cheesy hits from across the decades. Expect throwback tunes like Gnarls Barkley’s Crazy and Nelly Furtado’s Promiscuous.

Buy Now That’s What I Call Bottomless Brunch for £55 at Fever

Stand-up comedy in Earlsfield

This venue in Wandsworth, the Spencer sports club, prides itself on being an all-inclusive and friendly comedy club. On the last Friday of every month, the club brings you an assortment of the best comedians who all have a different style of comedy and bring varying perspectives.

Buy Stand-up comedy in Earlsfield tickets for £11 at See Tickets

Are you a fan of comedy? Here are the best London comedy clubs and shows.

Arlo Parks

Twice Grammy-nominated, Mercury Prize and BRIT Award-winning Arlo Parks is off on tour, visiting London and Dublin. With meaningful tracks like Cola, Black Dog and Caroline, the openly bisexual artist resonates with a whole generation. Her Spotify profile writes she spent a lot of secondary school “feeling like that black kid who couldn’t dance for s**t, listening to too much emo music and crushing on some girl in her Spanish class”.

Buy Arlo Parks tickets from £35 at Ticketmaster

As well as Arlo Parks, you could also bag RAYE tickets, Sabrina Carpenter tickets, and Sir Tom Jones tickets.

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