Llanelli is celebrating LGBTQ+ History Month!

Llanelli LGBTQ+ Support Group are celebrating LGBTQ+ Month in February by creating a virtual exhibition full of local heritage.

The group will be gathering articles and stories, creating films, and organising workshops to promote the local (and national) LGBTQ+ Heritage.

They are paying particular attention to how members of the community experienced growing up as LGBTQ+ in Llanelli in through the decades. Some of the stories will be published in a special Heritage newspaper which will be distributed at the end of February.

Keith Evans, the chair said:

“Due to Covid-19, the original project was stopped in its tracks, and has only been able to restart due to support of the Heritage Lottery Fund in going virtual and also printing a newspaper. That way, the group feel that they can reach the younger and older generations”.

The group is planning on:

Printing a newspaper full of LGBTQ+ Heritage

Providing a Holocaust Memorial Day film for the Hilary Rose Memorial event organised by Olive Trust Wales

Filming people’s LGBTQ+ stories

Coffee get together with heritage talks

LGBTQ+ History Month pages in the Llanelli Standard community newspaper

Originally, the group would have visited places and events displaying their stories and gathering articles as they travelled around, however, with that not possible now, the group must try and achieve the same outcomes but from the home.

Some of the events that will be held for Llanelli LGBTQ+ History Month:

Wednesday 3^rd, 10.30 till 12.00: LGBTQ+ and the Media with Carmarthenshire LGBTQ+’s Alex Bryant-Evans who will also be talking about Reach Out, Wales’ first LGBTQ+ newspaper.

Thursday 4^th, 10.30 till 12.30: Time to Talk day. Coffee and a chat.

Thursday 5^th, 17.00 till 18.30: Instant Vlog. Mighty Media Productions will tell us how to record our own history vlog.

Wednesday 10^th, 10.30 till 11.15: The Dragon in the Rainbow. This is a roundup of historic Welsh LGBTQ+ people. Norena Shopland, Draig Enfys, Promoting LGBT+ and Welsh heritage.

Monday 15^th, 11.30 till 12.30: LGBTQ+ Hate Crime, with Becca Rosenthal from Victim Support.

Wednesday 16^th, from 14.00: LGBTQ+ History at St Fagans. A virtual show and tell in partnership with The Carmarthenshire LGBTQ+ Project. Join the National Museum of Wales’ Mark Etheridge.

Thursday 18^th, 10.30 till 11.15: A Practical Guide to Searching LGBTQIA Historical Records with Norena Shopland. This workshop explains how to research LGBT+ history.

Friday 19^th, 10.30 till 12.30: Coffee morning

Monday 22^nd, 18.00: Blood Equality Wales. A Talk on the successful campaign by Arron Bevan-John.

Thursday 25^th, 18.00: Icons & Allies and why LGBTQ+ History needs more stories told. with Lisa Power.

Saturday 27^th, time TBC Carmarthenshire LGBTQ+’s Loud and Proud event.

Some date: Blood Equality Wales. A Talk on the successful campaign by TBC.

Please email info@lgbtqplus.org.uk, see https://www.facebook.com/LlanelliLGBTQ or visit www.lgbtqplus.org.uk for more information and how to book.

Events will be run via Zoom, and we the Group is not responsible if an event is cancelled or delayed.