As February draws to a close, so does the sixteenth annual LGBT History Month, and the 50th anniversary of the first pride march ever to take place in the UK. The month of February aims to celebrate and explore different people and identities who have made history in the community.
Mark Healey, appointed in August 2019 as Croydon’s LGBT Hate Crime Officer, provides advice and support to those who have been affected by homophobic abuse. As an avid participant in LGBT History Month events, he says they are a "great opportunity to connect with the community and to promote anti-hate crime work" When asked: what do you think your biggest achievement as Croydon’s Hate Crime Officer has been, Mark responded: "I think my biggest achievement is the support that I have given to individuals who have needed advice and support as it has enabled them to get on with their lives." To celebrate LGBT History Month this year, Mark and Metro Charity have launched a community outreach project in 13 of Croydon’s libraries. The long term goal of this project is to provide "greater awareness and access to information for both library staff and library users." He also said: "I believe signposting groups, organisations and services is very important." Although there is still a long way to go in terms of LGBT rights for everyone across the globe, huge progress has been made since the first History Month. One question I asked Mark was: what do you think is the most important moment in LGBT history and why? To which he replied: "Stonewall in New York is often quoted by many people but I think the most important moment in history is the personal moments that we all have, when we start accepting ourselves as LGBT+, when we connect as part of the LGBT+ community, and when we work together to make it a better place for everyone." One question often asked by people generally is ‘why do we even bother to study history? It’s in the past after all.’ Mark answered: "I think it is important to remember all those that have come before us, those lost, and those who are part of the ongoing movement to make the world a better place for all of us." Whilst LGBT History Month 2022 is now over, the fight for equal rights is not. When we all come together as a human race to celebrate each other, change is made. In Mark’s words: "There are so many stories to learn, so many names, so many important moments in history. We are all richer when we know our past and are able to apply that knowledge to the journey ahead of us.’’ You can find more information about Metro Charity’s services here: https://metrocharity.org.uk/community/metro-safer-croydon-hate-crime-service.
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