Reception at Edinburgh Castle to mark LGBT History Month

February has been designated LGBT History Month.

A reception at Edinburgh Castle was held by the Minister for Communities on 22 February 2005. Invitations went out to people and organisations active in supporting LGBT people and recording our history. In his speech, the Minister made special mention of OurStory Scotland and the Remember When project as the two active organisations devoted to recording the oral history of the LGBT community in Scotland.

LGBT History Month has been marked in Scotland in various ways, including initiatives by the Scottish Executive.

In a written answer to a question from Patrick Harvie on 2 February 2005, the Minister of Communities, Malcolm Chisholm, stated:

"The Scottish Executive is marking LGBT history month in a number of ways.

I will be hosting a reception for LGBT communities later in the month. This will be an opportunity to recognise and celebrate the contribution that LGBT people have made to Scottish society.

Communities Scotland have announced funding of £9,995 for the charity group 'OurStory Scotland' to support a project researching the history of Scotland's LGBT communities.

And in addition, as an employer, the Scottish Executive, in conjunction with its LGBT staff network and the 'Remember When' project, will mark LGBT History Month with a variety of events, including a lunchtime seminar for Executive staff. This will focus on the contribution of LGBT staff members to the Executive and the wider civil service."

In the Scottish Parliament on 2 February 2005 the Deputy Minister for Communities (Johann Lamont) said:

"February 2005 is the first LGBT history month, and the Executive is delighted to support that initiative. We believe that Scotland will be stronger and more successful if we celebrate diversity and the ways in which different cultures, ideas and experiences enrich Scottish life and have defined us all as Scots. I am delighted that my ministerial colleague, Malcolm Chisholm, will host a reception for LGBT communities at Edinburgh castle later this month to recognise and celebrate the contribution of Scotland's LGBT communities and to recognise in particular the work of LGBT Youth Scotland. I understand that some of the young people from LGBT Youth Scotland have been invited to attend that reception.

We all agree that there is no place in Scotland for homophobic prejudice or discrimination. It is the commitment of the Scottish Executive to continue to work in partnership with Scotland's LGBT communities to recognise their key role in helping us to deliver services that meet their needs and shape the action that we, as a society, must take in the future."

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