Black History Month Guess Who • I was a famous Mexican artist • I was in a car accident when I was 19 which meant that a lot of my life was spent in a body cast and/or being restricted to my bed • I am well known for my vibrant self-portraits ? Frida Kahlo Guess Who • I am a young actor from Manchester • I act on stage and on screen • I am perhaps best known for my role in the Channel 4 series Banana, Cucumber & Tofu ? Fisayo Akinade Guess Who • I was the organiser of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom where Martin Luther King delivered his “I have a dream” speech • I taught Martin Luther King about non-violent protest • I had to distance myself during the civil rights movement as people threatened to bring Martin Luther King down with rumours about us being together ? Bayard Rustin Guess Who • I am the first Black transgender actress to have a leading role in a mainstream TV show • I am a trans rights activist • I have produced two documentaries which explore the lives of trans people in America and which help raise awareness to their experiences and of injustices trans people can and do face ? Laverne Cox Guess Who • I played professional basketball in the NBA for teams including: Cleveland Cavaliers, Utah Jazz and Orlando Magic • I was born in Stockport • In 2011 I was awarded an OBE for services to sport and the voluntary sector ? John Amaechi Guess Who • I am a poet and novelist from Edinburgh in Scotland • I was awarded an MBE for my services to literature • My work regularly includes LGBT characters and people from a diverse range of backgrounds ? Jackie Kay Guess Who • I am a qualified GP • I am a stand up comedian • I am one of the Chasers on ITV game show The Chase ? Paul Sinha Guess Who • I am the first woman to win an Olympic boxing title • I won a gold medal in the 2012 Olympics ? • I was born in Bradford Nicola Adams Guess Who • I was the youngest and the first openly gay peer in the House Of Lords • I fought for the repeal of section 28 and for the legal age of sex to be lowered for gay and lesbian people to 16, making it equal to heterosexual people ? • I am a multimillionaire business man Lord Waheed Alli Guess Who • I am well remembered for my work in the civil rights movement • I have campaigned for many years to abolish prisons • I am a feminist and discuss women’s rights a lot in my work ? Angela Davis What do all these people have in common? They are all Black They all identify as LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) BLACK ‘black’ in lowercase is used to identify a person’s race, for those of African/Caribbean ancestry. When it is used with a capital ‘B’ it is used as a political identity for those who have African, Caribbean, Asian, Native Australian, Native American, South American or Middle Eastern heritage/ancestry. LESBIAN A woman who experiences romantic and/or sexual attraction to other women. GAY A man who experiences romantic and/or sexual attraction to other men. Sometimes “gay” is used by women who are attracted to women too. BISEXUAL A person of any gender who experiences romantic and/or sexual attraction to men and women. TRANSGENDER A person whose gender identity does not align or “match’” with the sex and they were assigned at birth e.g. a person whose sex was assigned male at birth but who identifies as a woman or as gender neutral. Black History Month Black History Month encourages people to remember and celebrate important people from the past and those who contribute to and help our society today. It’s a month to uncover hidden and lesser known histories to foster a better understanding of Black History. LGBT Black History Month LGBT History is often less well known too, especially the history of non-white LGBT people. It is estimated that roughly 1 in 10 people identify as LGBT which includes people from all races, faiths, abilities, professions and so it’s important that we learn about LGBT people from a variety of backgrounds too. Find out about your nearest youth group for LGBT young people: www.lgbtyouthnorthwest.org.uk