Bath student’s winning logo launched to celebrate LGBT+ History Month

A new logo designed by a young person from Bath has been launched to celebrate Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Plus (LGBT+) History Month in Bath and North East Somerset. 

Mia Hammond, a Year 9 student at Oldfield School in Bath, won a competition for young people to design an LGBT+ logo for the B&NES area run by Bath & North East Somerset Council. 

The logo will now be used on all council publicity for LGBT+ during February and beyond. 

LGBT+ History Month is a chance to learn more about the histories of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the UK. 

It is celebrated nationally each year in February and highlights the contributions that LGBT+ people make, locally and globally. 

Bath & North East Somerset Council is marking the month through a range of events including the launch of a film on mental wellbeing in the LGBT+ community by local organisation Boys In Mind. 

Councillor Dine Romero, cabinet member for Children and Young People, Communities and Culture, said: “We have a vibrant LGBT+ community in B&NES which should be celebrated and recognised. I’m delighted that we have our own unique logo for B&NES to mark the month of celebration – a big well done to Mia on her design. Thank you to all the young people who took part in our competition. 

“I am proud that we will be marking LGBT+ History Month in a variety of different ways, including flying the rainbow flag from the Guildhall to show our support and hosting the launch of an important film on mental health and wellbeing in a special webinar. Please join us on February 22.”

The LGBT+ history month events happening during February are:

• The Rainbow Pride Flag will be flying from the roof of the Guildhall in Bath for the first half of February. Bath & North East Somerset Council is raising the flag as a symbol of support to all LGBT+ people in our community, as well as the many people who visit our area. 

• Film launch: mental wellbeing in the LGBTQ+ community: on February 22 at 6pm a webinar will take place to launch an important new film from local organisation Boys in Mind will take place. The film highlights mental health and wellbeing within the LGBTQ+ community and was made in partnership with LGBT+ Off the Record Bath & NES. 

It features young people talking about mental wellbeing and sharing some of their experiences of being part of the LGBTQ+ community. The webinar will be hosted by Councillor Romero and Will Reed, Youth Advisor from Boys in Mind. Register here.

• LGBT+ History of bath – a virtual tour:  If you missed it last year, find out about the history of Bath’s LGBT+ community, along with the history of local organisations that have offered support and undertaken LGBT+ campaigns in the Bath area. The virtual tour was led by Robert Howes from Gay West. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBiBPQZsHDk

• Bath and North East Somerset Libraries are running a month of digital celebrations with the theme of Politics in Art. An LGBT+ artist will be highlighted every day of February as well as LGBT+ and queer culture including podcasts and museums. Local and national help and support organisations will be signposted as well as reading recommendations from the digital library. Visit the libraries’ Twitter, Facebook and Instagram throughout the month.

Visit the council’s dedicated LGBT+ webpage.

The overall aim of LGBT+ History Month is to promote equality and diversity for the benefit of the public, by increasing the visibility of lesbian gay, bisexual and transgender people, their history, lives and experiences in the curriculum and culture of educational and other institutions, and the wider community.