'Anyone in a corset and wig is a hero'

The trailblazers spearheading the fight for LGBTQ+ rights and recognition

- LARA KILNER

February is LGBTQ+ history month, and with it comes a chance to reflect on how far we’ve come – and how far we have yet to go. It’s 28 years since RuPaul made history as the first drag queen to land a major beauty campaign for MAC Viva Glam, the lipstick that has since raised more than £400 million for the MAC Aids Fund. 

Since then, not only have positive portrayals of LGBTQ+ people in the media helped RuPaul’s Drag Race become a mainstream hit, but no one bats an eyelid over same-sex couples dancing together on primetime Saturday night light entertainment shows. Dramas such as It’s A Sin and The L Word are ratings and critical smashes, while comedy shows from Grace And Frankie and Schitt’s Creek to Modern Family feature gay couples – but remember the hoo-ha over that lesbian kiss on Brookside in 1994?

There have been many recent trailblazing moments in the fight for LGBTQ+ rights, including footballer Jake Daniels and former runner Dame Kelly Holmes publicly coming out, and diver Tom Daley and ex-footballer Alex Scott taking a stand against oppression, to transgender models fronting beauty campaigns and now a gay Doctor Who.

“Right now in 2023 we know we’ve come a long way in terms of LGBTQIA+ rights. However, our rights are still under threat,” says Charlotte Fountaine, founder of LGBTQ+ mental wellbeing app Kalda.

“We have the UK government blocking an important bill which would make it easier for trans people to change their legal gender. This shows that we still need to fight. The campaigners, trail blazers in this article have made massive contributions to the cause, often at great personal sacrifice. Listen to trans and queer folk when they speak up for their rights. And get behind them.”