LGBTQ+ Community

LGBTQ+ Community within Fareham

At Fareham we recognise and celebrate the diverse communities amongst our residents cultivating an environment where every person feels confident and safe to express themselves so that Fareham is a great place to live and work.

This webpage provides useful information, advice and guidance for anyone wanting to learn more about our LGBTQ+ Community.

What does LGBTQ+ mean?

LGBTQ + is an acronym that stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer or Questioning. The '+' sign is an inclusive symbol representing other sexual orientations and gender identities.

Gender Pronouns

Not every person identifies as male or female, or their appearance or name may not align with a specific gender. The use of pronouns can help prevent people making assumptions about someone's gender. Using someone's correct personal pronouns is a way to recognise their gender identity and create an inclusive environment.

With the use of gender pronouns becoming more common amongst society, and for some can be quite confusing to navigate, here are some useful best practice hints and tips when using pronouns:

• Ask at the beginning of conversation "What are your preferred pronouns?'' or "How would you like to be referred to?"
• Share your own pronouns
• When referring to Somone, if you don't know their pronouns, use they, them or their instead of he/him/his or she/her/hers.
• Consider using gender-neutral language – for example, terms like "guys" can be replaced with "all" or "colleagues". "Chairman" can be replaced with "chairperson" or "chair" and "police officer" is more inclusive than "policeman".
• Remember not everyone can get it right all the time and if you do unintentionally misgender or use the incorrect pronouns, just apologise and move on.

At Fareham Borough Council the way we communicate with our residents is important to us. One of our key values is kindness, we care about our people, are thoughtful about others and treat everyone with compassion.

Events

LGBTQ+ History Month

LGBTQ+ History Month takes place annually in February, and is a month-long celebration recognising the history, achievements and diversity of LGBTQ+ communities and individuals.

Find out more about LGBTQ history .

Pride

The month of June marks Pride month where events including parades, marches, concerts, and other celebrations take place globally to recognise LGBTQ+ culture and community and raise awareness about issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community.

During pride month in Fareham, the Pride Flag will be flown from the town centre flag poles in West Street, as well as illumination to recognise and celebrate the LGBTQ+ Community.

Find out more about Pride .

LGBTQ+ Services and useful resources

There are many local support and advice services for our LGBTQ+ community, some of which can be found below.

Y-Services  – LGBTQ+ support and advice for young people

Breakout Youth  – Support for LGBTQ+ young people across Hampshire

Galop  – LGBT+ anti – abuse charity

Stonewall  - LGBTQ+ Hubs

Hampshire LGBT+  Alliance – An alliance of Hampshire-based LBGT+ networks

Beaumont Society  – Transgender support network

Mermaid  – Support for young people, families and professionals

FFlag  – LGBT+ support for families and loved ones

Mind  - Mental Health Support