Patrick Brennan on Celebrating LGBTQ+ History Month

Patrick Brennan, International Distribution Coordinator at AstraZeneca, spoke to myGwork about how he is commemorating LGBTQ+ History Month this year. He also discusses the lack of LGBTQ+ education he received at school and the direct impact it had on him.

Image Credit: Canva

Please introduce yourself and tell us about your role at your organization.

I’m Patrick Brennan and I work in as an International Distribution Coordinator at AstraZeneca. I am also a part of the AZ Pride leadership team, where my role looks to grow our relationships with external partners and get the most that we can from the wider LGBTQ+ networks and allies.

Can you tell us a little bit about LGBTQ+ History Month?

LGBTQ+ history month is a celebration of a lot of history that is often overlooked. It focuses on where the community has been and gives some interesting stories about how everyday people have overcome adversity. Some are funny, others are tragic, many are unbelievable, but there are so many stories to explore and it's only right that we acknowledge them and spend 28 days talking about them!

Why is LGBTQ+ History Month important to you?

I think because it's not always talked about. There are so many stories that deserve to be told and it's important that LGBTQ+ people can see that representation. I feel like people tend to think that trans rights, pronouns, gender fluidity and a lot of other issues are new, whereas they have been going on for thousands of years – it's important that people feel validated in how they identify and looking back at the past can help us do that.

Do you think LGBTQ+ people are represented in history books enough?

No. It’s human history and I think due to past attitudes these things have been brushed under the carpet from when they were seen as being less socially acceptable. I think that is changing now slowly.

Were you taught about LGBTQ+ history in school?