Our first LGBT+ History Month at Tonic@Bankhouse After becoming the UK’s first LGBT+ retirement community when we officially launched last summer, we were thrilled to be able to celebrate our very first LGBT+ History Month at Tonic@Bankhouse last week with some of our new residents, who are now settling in! To mark the occasion, we launched our new art collection in the community spaces, unveiling 11 new pieces of art with an evening of wonderful chat and delicious drinks. Selected by residents, the colourful artworks from Enter Gallery, Brighton, bring new life into the lounge, dining room and newly revamped reading room. The pieces of art by Ruth Mulvie, Oli Fowler, Paul Fuentes, Joe Webb, Dirty Hans, Maria Rivans and Victoria Topping, showcase colourful landscapes, exciting collages and bold statements.
This year’s LGBT+ History Month theme is politics in art, so we thought it was the perfect opportunity to bring together our new and soon-to-be moved-in residents, our community panel and board members, to catch-up and meet one another. We know how important it is to talk about our community’s history, and for Tonic, that means the experiences of each and every person involved and making sure they have a voice in our movement. We’re so excited to continue working with our residents on many more amazing projects in the coming months. Lynne Nicholls – Chair of Trustees – Schools OUT UK said: Schools OUT UK are delighted to celebrate LGBT+ History Month with Tonic, the first LGBT+ affirming retirement community. Since we launched the month 2004, we have watched it grow to the amazing celebration it is today.
It is important to recognise how far we have come and whose shoulder we stand. It is 50 years since the first Pride march, 50 years since the start of London Friend and 40 years since the start of Terrence Higgins Trust. Join together this LGBT+ History Month as we claim our past, celebrate our present and create a future that is inclusive of the full diversity of the LGBT+ community. “The arc of the moral universe is long but it bends towards justice”. Dr Martin Luther King Jr.
