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Investing in LGBTQ+ heritage

Investing in LGBTQ+ heritage

Heritage has a crucial role to play in contributing to a flourishing, more equitable and inclusive society.

That's why inclusion, access and participation is one of the four investment principles that guide our grant decision making.

Since 1994 we've invested over £12million across the UK in sharing stories of LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and other identities) heritage, creativity, activism and much more.

If you've got an idea for a project, we'd love to hear from you.

The terms we use

At The National Lottery Heritage Fund, we use the acronym LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer). The ‘+’ represents people who identify as non-binary, intersex, asexual and other identities.

We use these acronyms because we believe they are widely understood. Identities can be complex and intersectional, and we are also aware that for many these terms may feel inadequate or limiting. We keep the language we use constantly under review.

A person standing in front of a glass display of pride flags, t-shirts, leaflets and other memorabilia in a glass case
Mark Etheridge, Curator of LGBTQ+ History in front of 'Wales is… Proud' display.

Stories

Wales is Proud: a look into a national LGBTQ+ collection

Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum of Wales is actively collecting objects, documents, photographs and oral histories to fully represent the LGBTQ+ community and lived experience in Wales
Image of people standing in a line in a countryside setting holding signs reading It's OK 2 B U
The slogan ‘It’s OK 2BU’ became an emblem to represent what it means to be out on the Quantock Hills. Quantock Landscape Partnership Scheme

Blogs

Learnings from an LGBTQ+ project: creating pride in the countryside

Jem Gibson shares how they engaged young gender-diverse people with a natural heritage project and created a sense of place and belonging.
Colourful handmade poster for the In Plain Sight project. Rainbows, flowers and an eye decorated with LGBTQ+ colours can be seen

Projects

In Plain Sight: A Story of Gwen Lally

This Bradford-based project will explore the history and traditions of Gwen Lally – a queer historical figure and the first woman pageant producer in England

Two women at queer exhibition
Jasspreet Thethi and friend at Never Going Underground exhibition

Stories

LGBTQ+ projects that mean the most to us

We are proud to fund projects which celebrate LGBTQ+ history - here are a few of our staff members' favourites.
Pride march 1974
Pride march, 1974. Credit: Wikimedia

Stories

Saving LGBTQ+ stories before they are lost forever

A new Heritage Fund project might be the last chance to capture the experiences of LGBTQ+ people in Manchester who remember life before the Sexual Offences Act 1967.
Old photo showing large billboard with the words "AIDS: don't die of ignorance"
Don’t Die of Ignorance campaign billboard in Levenshulme, c.1986.

Projects

Pride! Prevention! Protection! 30 years of safer sex

LGBT Foundation recorded the memories of people involved in and affected by safer sex campaigns from the 1980s to the present day.

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