UK LGBT+ History Month
LGBT+ History Month is an annual month-long observance of past struggles and achievements of LGBTQ+ people and the history of the gay rights and related civil rights movements.
In the UK, it takes place every February and was originally created by Schools OUT UK. It aims to promote and advance equality, diversity and inclusion.
What we are doing in 2026
This year’s theme, Science and Innovation, highlights driving progress in our daily lives, from powering the technologies we use to transforming healthcare and enabling solutions to global challenges such as climate change and access to clean energy.
The theme of this year resonates strongly with us at the University of Bradford. We are proud to have been the academic home of many LGBTQ+ colleagues whose contributions have shaped and advanced the STEM landscape.
Celebrating Barbara Burford
We are pleased to announce one of the people highlighted as part of LGBT History month is Barbara Burford. A medical researcher who played a key role in establishing NHS equality and diversity guidelines, Barbara also had a strong connection to the University of Bradford. She was appointed the first Deputy Director of the Centre for Inclusion and Diversity (CfID) in 2005.
Following her death, the University of Bradford established the annual Barbara Burford Memorial Lecture as part of its Making Diversity Interventions Count Annual Conference (MDICAC) ensuring her legacy continues to inspire work in inclusion and equality.
Executive Advocate for LGBTQ+ Equality
We are pleased to introduce our Executive Advocate for LGBTQ+ Equality is Dr William Martin, Executive Dean of Faculty of Health and Social Care.
By taking on these roles, all Executive Team members reaffirm their collective commitment to the principles of equality, diversity, and inclusion. This includes eliminating discrimination, advancing equality of opportunity, fostering good relations, and promoting positive cultural messages across the whole University community.
We remain committed to being a university where everyone can thrive as their authentic selves.
Dr William Martin, Executive Dean & Executive Advocate for LGBTQ+
Report + Support
We believe everyone should have a positive and rewarding experience at work. While that’s true for most people, it is not acceptable that even one person should be subjected to harassment, bullying or unacceptable behaviour of any kind.
In our commitment to build a safe, supportive and inclusive environment, we have teamed up with online reporting platform Culture Shift to launch Report + Support.
Report + Support gives our staff and students a voice. It is a new way to report unacceptable behaviour and incidents, safe in the knowledge that they will be taken seriously, inspire change and help others.
Through Report + Support you can report incidents (anonymously or including your contact information), access helpful information, and find out what support is available when you need it. We have worked closely with our staff and student services to ensure that Report + Support integrates with existing policies and procedures, providing comprehensive support to anyone reporting unacceptable behaviour.