To mark the end of LGBTQ+ History Month, we are holding a Wear Your Colours Day this coming Friday, 28th February. Colleagues are invited to wear bright or rainbow coloured clothes or accessories to show solidarity and support for the community. The suggestion was made to the Pride Network by Health and Safety Manager, Jordan Williams.

Please ensure that IPC guidelines are still being met. If you are required to wear a uniform, a pair of jazzy socks will still fit the brief. Make sure you send your colourful photos to odteam@cht.nhs.uk

Here are a few key moments in LGBTQ+ history:

2400 BCE

One of the earliest records of same-sex relationships appears in ancient Egypt, with the tomb of Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep, who are believed to have been a couple.

600 BCE

In Ancient Greece, same-sex relationships are an accepted part of society.

1300s - 1800s

Many European countries criminalize same-sex relationships, often with severe penalties.

1951

Roberta Cowell becomes the first known British trans woman to undergo gender-affirming surgery.

1969

The Stonewall Riots occur in New York City, sparking the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement.

1980s - 1990s

The HIV/AIDS epidemic. Activist groups like ACT UP fought for medical research, public awareness and government action.

2001

The Netherlands become the first country to legalise same-sex marriage. More than 35 other countries, including the UK (2014 - 2020), USA (2015) and Taiwan (2019) have since followed. Thailand (2025) is the most recent country to legalise same-sex marriage.

2004

The UK's Gender Recognition Act was one of the first laws allowing trans people to change their legal gender.

2019

The World Health Organisation (WHO) reclassified gender identity, stating that being transgender is not a mental illness.