Lucky Roy Singh, a non-binary activist and drag queen from Manchester, has called for more stories of “pivotal” queer icons who “laid the foundations” for the LGBTQ+ community to be taught more widely in UK schools as the country marks LGBT+ History Month.
The LGBTQ+ campaigner from Manchester says the “important” topic needs to be addressed more in schools because “in order to create change we must acknowledge what happened in the past.”
The mother of the House of Spice, a collaboration of Asian activists and performers who teach queer stories, says they did not have LGBTQ+ history lessons growing up and had to “create my own history.”
They believe young people should have a better understanding of key moments in the community’s journey and its famous figures who created change for the better, such as Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera.
Lucky said: “It is so important we get these conversations happening in schools about our culture and history. We learn about Egyptians and the Romans, why not LGBTQ+ history?
“I didn’t have those history lessons growing up – I’ve had to create my own history. I’ve done my own research. There wasn’t enough education shown to me as a child.
“I need to be that person for them [young people] to look up to because I never had that.”
