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UK LGBT+ History Month Poetry Competitions 2026

Schools Poetry Competition 2025 Winners

Key Stage 2

Elthorne Park High School

Rising Rainbows
There was once a time when the sky was endless grey
But with determination, colours began to light the way
Rainbows were formed, big, bold and bright
As activists raised awareness of the LGBTs fight

Battles fought for countless years,
Through tears, love and silent fears
Fighting for change, they marched & spoke with pride
No longer chained, they rose, they awoke, to begin their stride

A fierce revolution, they made their stand
As warriors, they carved their rights with firm hands
Battling unjust laws and hearts so cold
They remained determined, confident, strong and bold

The right to live, the right to be you
To walk with pride, to love as true
Rainbows continuously rising, hands unite
Voices roar, opinions shared, spurred on to win this fight

It’s a long road ahead, creating change takes time
Shaping society, changing minds, is always an uphill climb
Standing for love, for equality, for a place in our communities
It’s a fight worth fighting for to accept the rights of LGBTs.

So, for now LGBT activists will keep on their plight
Rainbows and flags will remain in constant flight
It’s time for the world to escape the grey scale
It’s time for acceptance, for the vibrant colours to prevail.

Key Stages 3-4

Ashcroft Technology Academy

Changing the Game
The first match was played in 1881
The Women’s Football journey had only just begun

The beginning saw not boots, but dresses and heels 
Scrambling through oppression and chasing ideals

Just as it started, their game was scratched 
Until 1971, women’s rights were snatched

A newfound revival brought a social shift
The prospect of a trophy that we could soon lift

Record-breaking crowds, people large and small 
Admire what these women do with the kick of a ball.

Their rainbow armbands no longer something to hide
Instead, we wear our identity with pride.

Yes, these women, some may be gay
But what matters to us is the game that they play

Every chant is sung clear and loud
A symbol of unity shines from the crowd.

This is not just football, it’s something more profound
A sense of togetherness we have built up from the ground.

This game that we play is now honest and true.
We celebrate our differences,

Will you?

Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Morgannwg

Stones Against Walls

 A prideful chatter filters through the air,
Cast in rainbow lights.
It all changes in a moment, the violence a routine,
Yet something changes this time.

Like stones against walls, they stood tall, rainbows mostly red,
But the resistance does not change.
Bricks hurled, shot glasses shattered,
Sounds that resonated across the world.

Years later we stride through the very same streets,
Scribbled words that mean the world,
Banners of equal colors hoisted upon our shoulders,
A wave of the most prideful yells.

Those in power may pay it no mind all they want,
But, like stones against walls, we shall stand tall.

Key stage 5

Cumbernauld Academy School

What if I Noticed
I never noticed a need for change
Walking down the street and people shouting slurs
Where I was raised that was normal
So I never noticed a need for change

I never noticed the pain
Blissfully unaware people were bullied for who they are
How I was raised you ignore it
So I never noticed the pain

I never noticed the things that were wrong
Kids not wanting to leave the house
They didn’t feel safe in the world 
I didn’t notice the things that were wrong

Until I did

One day I woke up
I woke up and I was being called slurs 
I woke up and I was being bullied for who I am
I woke up and I no longer felt safe

I woke up and wished for change
I woke up and wished there was no pain
I woke up and wished nothing was wrong
I woke up and wished someone saw

One day they did
But what could be done
I was moving schools anyway

What if they saw earlier
What if they listened
What if I didn’t give up trying
Trying to make them listen

What if they understood

What if I noticed

USP Palmer’s Campus

Ancient Greece had an interesting way of describing people like me.
They said the God of the sun, Apollo, famous for his romances
Got drunk while creating humans.
They said he switched our brains and bodies,
We were not wrong, they said,
We were not confused.
We had simply been given the wrong mind.

I think about that a lot, when it’s dark and I am alone,
The other person out there, somewhere,
Wearing my face.
I think about them
Do they know?
Do they feel as I do, like there is a rock in their shoe,
An arrow in their gut,
Their mind disconnected from their body.
Do they think about me?

l look up,
I look to you,
You stare back down.
In your eyes, recognition
In mine, defiance.
You want to hide me,
You say that I have never existed,
That I am ill.

I think back to the person with my face,
Do you hate them too?
Do they scare you?
Do I?

You cannot erase us,
Me and my face,
My body and my soul,
My eyes hold the embers of the sun,
My blood the grapes of the vine,
I am defiance,
And I am alive.

UK LGBT+ History Month Poetry Competitions 2026

Who are we?

Schools OUT is the LGBT+ education charity #educatingOUTprejudice and #Usuallising LGBT+ lives since 1974. We work with valued partners like yourselves to educate OUT prejudice, raise LGBT+ visibility by usualising the full diversity of LGBT+ lives to ensure our educational institutions are safe, inclusive and support LGBT+ young people’s well-being.

Schools OUT founded UK LGBT+ History Month in 2004 and first celebrated in February 2005.

What is the schools poetry competition?

We will be inviting entries from students in key stages 2-5 to write a short poem which embodies the theme 2026 UK LGBT+ History Month theme announced in November 2025. The competition provides an opportunity to engage students in exploring this theme and LGBT+ history in more depth this LGBT+ History Month.

A winner will be chosen from each of three age categories. Each category winner will have their poem published on our website, and will receive a £100 Love to Shop gift voucher and a book (either ‘What does LGBT+ Mean?’ or ‘Have Pride’).

What is the open poetry competition (adults)?

Following our hugely popular schools’ poetry competition, we are inviting adult writers to submit a short poem which embodies the theme 2026 UK LGBT+ History Month theme announced in November 2025. The competition provides an opportunity to engage students in exploring this theme and LGBT+ history in more depth this LGBT+ History Month. We welcome entries from unpublished writers as well as previously published writers. A winner will be chosen from these two categories. Each category winner will have their poem published on our website, and will receive £100 love to shop voucher. We may also publish some of the best poems in anthology.

How do you take part?

The competition is free to enter and entries can be submitted from 9am on 1st February 2026 until 5pm on 6th March 2026 using the form at the bottom of this page. The form will be accessible from 1st February 2026. Please read the competition rules and poetry guidelines below before entering.

Schools Competition Poetry Guidelines

The points listed below are for teachers/youth leaders to explain to the groups and/or individuals entering the competition.

General

  • The competition is free to enter and is only for schools, colleges, and youth groups.
  • A winner will be chosen from each of the three categories. Each category winner will receive a £100 Love to Shop gift voucher, and a book (either ‘What does LGBT+ Mean?’ or ‘Have Pride’). The winning poem from each of the three categories will be published on our website and social media.
  • Each institution/organisation may submit one entry per each of the categories below.
Age 7 – 11 (category 1)Age 11 – 16 (category 2)Age 16-19 (category 3)
Key Stage 2Key Stages 3 & 4Key Stage 5
  • Tertiary institutions (FE Colleges, youth groups etc) should also enter one overall selected winner.
  • Organisations can submit one entrance to category 1 (age 7-11 / KS 2), one entrance to category 2 (age 11-16 / KS 3&4), and one entrance to category 3 (age 16-19 / KS 5).

Content

  • The poem should embody the theme for 2026 and could include highlighting LGBT+ people in history or the present.
  • The poem should be no more than 400 words.
  • The poem should be no more than 30 lines.
  • The poem should be written primarily in English.
  • The poem must have been created by the credited author.
  • Poems must not have been created with any input from AI.
  • The poem must be submitted in written form as a PDF or word documents. If the original poem was not produced in this way, the work may be transcribed from an original hand-written or spoken poem either by the entrant or a teacher, support worker, or youth worker.

Schools Competition Rules

By entering this competition you are agreeing to abide by the following rules:

  • This competition is only for schools, colleges, or youth groups.
  • All schools, colleges, and youth groups wishing to enter must submit their entry using the online form including the poem(s) and accompanying information attached before the deadline of 5pm 6th March 2026.
  • Entries must be clearly labelled with category (1-3), entrant’s age, name and organisation details.
  • Plagiarised entries will be disqualified.
  • Only one entry per category per organisation.
  • The competition will be judged in March by a panel of judges from Schools OUT and special guest judges, whose decisions are final. No correspondence will be entered into regarding their decision.
  • A winner will be chosen from each of the three categories. Each category winner will receive a £100 Love to Shop gift voucher, and a book (either ‘What does LGBT+ Mean?’ or ‘Have Pride’).
  • All winners will be informed by the end of March 2026, and the prizes sent to the school/organisation to be presented to the winners in April 2026.
  • The poem must be submitted in written form as a PDF or word documents. If the original poem was not produced in this way, the work may be transcribed from an original hand-written or spoken poem either by the entrant or a teacher, support worker, or youth worker.
  • The poem must not have won another competition. The poem must not have been published in association with another competition.
  • The copyright of the poem remains with the author, however by entering the competition authors of the winning poems grant permission to Schools OUT the right to publish and/or broadcast the winning poem, and to do so before other parties.
  • Authors of the winning poems grant Schools OUT the irrevocable and non-exclusive licence to re-publish the work in perpetuity, included but not limited to publication of the work on our website and social media, and publication (in print or online) of the work as part of an anthology or as an educational resource.
  • Your school/organisation is responsible for seeking permission from the young people’s legal guardians for their names to be made public. Should a young person wish to remain anonymous, only the school/organisation and age category will be publicised.
  • All entries must be made through the nominated adult contact at the school/organisation involved. No direct contact will be made with entrants, and you cannot enter the competition outside of a school/organisation. If you have any questions regarding this, you can email admin@schoolsoutuk.org.

Open Competition Poetry Guidelines

Please read the submission guidelines below before entering the competition.

General

  • The competition is free to enter and is open to any adult (aged 18+) resident in the United Kingdom.
  • A winner will be chosen for two categories: unpublished writers and published writers. Each category winner will receive £100 love to shop voucher. The winning poems and a selection of shortlisted entries will be published on our website and social media.
  • Each person may submit only one entry to one of the following categories:
    • Unpublished writers: Writers who have not previously had their work published in a magazine, anthology or collection. Self-publication on a website, blog or social media profile is okay; self-published books are not.
    • Published writer: Writers who have had their work published in a magazine, anthology or collection. Self-publication on a website, blog or social media profile does not count; self-published books do.

Content

  • The poem should embody the theme for 2026 and could include highlighting LGBT+ people in history or the present.
  • The poem should be no more than 400 words.
  • The poem should be no more than 40 lines.
  • The poem should be written primarily in English.
  • The poem must have been created by the credited author.
  • Poems must not have been created with any input from AI.
  • The poem must be submitted in written form as a PDF or Word document (docx).
  • Entrants may write using a pseudonym or alias.
  • Please provide a short author biography of up to 150 words with your submission.

Open Competition Rules

By entering this competition you are agreeing to abide by the following rules:

  • This competition is only for adults (aged 18+) resident in the United Kingdom.
  • Only one entry will be accepted per person.
  • The poem must be submitted in accordance with the submission guidelines above.
  • The poem must not have won another competition.
  • The poem must not have been published in any form.
  • All entrants must submit their entry using the online form including the poem and accompanying information attached before the deadline of 5pm, 6th Mrach 2026.
  • Entries must be clearly labelled with one of the two categories (unpublished/published), the entrant’s name, and the entrant’s contact details.
  • Plagiarised entries will be disqualified.
  • The competition will be judged in March by a panel of judges from Schools OUT UK and special guest judges, whose decisions are final. No correspondence will be entered into regarding their decision.
  • A winner will be chosen from each of the two categories. Each category winner will receive a £100 Love to Shop Voucher
  • All winners will be informed by the end of March 2026, and the prizes sent to the winners in April 2026.
  • If there are insufficient entries to declare a winner in one of the two categories, the judges reserve the right to declare only one overall winner. If there are insufficient entries to declare a winner in either category, the judges may declare no winner instead.
  • The copyright of the poem remains with the author; however, by entering the competition authors of the winning poems grant permission to Schools OUT UK to publish and/or broadcast the winning poem, and to do so before other parties.
  • Authors of the winning poems grant Schools OUT UK the irrevocable and non-exclusive licence to re-publish the work in perpetuity, included but not limited to publication of the work on our website and social media, and publication (in print or online) of the work as part of an anthology or as an educational resource.
  • If you have any questions regarding the competition, you can email admin@schoolsoutuk.org.

Entry Form

The entry form will be accessible here when the competition goes live.