A CELEBRATION for LGBT History Month has been launched with a variety of events planned for the local community.

Out2gether, Worcester’s LGBT charity, has joined forces with Worcestershire Pride, The Flag, Balti Mahal and Fortis Living to create a programme of events that have an appeal to the wider LGBT community and allies.

The aim of LGBT History Month is to promote equality and diversity by raising awareness and educating the community on matters affecting individuals.

Nicola Longworth-Cook, founder of Out2gether, said: “LGBT History Month gives us a wonderful opportunity to get together as a community to celebrate the progress we have made for LGBT equality and to remember those who have got us this far.

“I will speak about how we can all be activists just by living open authentic lives at the launch event at the Flag.

“Together with Worcestershire Pride in the autumn, LGBT History Month in February helps us celebrate how far we’ve come but also acknowledges there’s more to do.”

The celebration will commence with a launch party at The Flag, hosted by drag queen DJ, Rockella Brown, which will take place tonight (Saturday, February 2) at 8pm.

There will be a social gathering at House of Coffee, in the High Street, Worcester, on Saturday, February 9 between 10.30am and 12.30pm for members to come together.

Out2gether will be hosting their monthly meet-up brunch at Coffee Warehouse, in Foregate Street, on Saturday, February 23.

A curry and quiz night are on the cards at Balti Mahal, in Astwood Road, at 6pm on February 24. It will test contestants' knowledge of this year’s theme - Peace, Reconciliation and Activism and the wider LGBT world.

Tickets are priced £10 on the door and includes food and prizes to be won.

Out2gether has been in contact with the residents who live in a house in the Malvern Hills where the famous lesbian author, Radclyffe Hall, of ‘The Well of Loneliness’ lived.

They will deliver a talk about her and the house to tie in with a planned visit there in the summer.

A new joint project by Worcester University and The Hive will be launched where there will be an opportunity to collect and archive Worcestershire’s LGBT and oral histories.