Medway Pride LGBTQIA+ History Month 2026

Each Year Medway Pride holds its first event during February as part of the national LGBTQIA+ History Month. This event takes the form of an exhibition to highlight the history, creativity and issues of the day for the LGBTQIA+ community.

The exhibition is the beginning of Medway Pride 26 and sets the theme we use for the years events.

If you would like to be involved in the creation of any elements of the 2026 or 2027 exhibition please read this page, you can then register your interest on this google form HERE

Medway Pride CIC has set the following themes in recent years.

UNITED IN PRIDE

This theme was used for 2021 to 2024. It was a message of unity to resist the challenge from those who wished to separate the LGB from the TQIA parts of the community. We created exhibitions and events to show how the LGBTQIA+ community had come together to fight for civil and human rights for the whole community. It also acted as a call for all communities of Medway to join Medway Pride as Allies to celebrate diversity and inclusion of all.

PRIDE IS A PROTEST & A CELEBRATION

For 2025 we expanded the theme to highlight the history of the pride as a human civil rights movement. This resulted in the creation of a placard exhibition highlighting the steps forward and steps backward in changes in law affecting the LGBTQIA+ Community from 1957 to 2025.

2026 Exhibition

This February we will be expanding on the theme to create an exhibition with support from Nucleus Arts who have partnered with Medway Pride to host the exhibition from 19^th to 25^th of February 2026.

We are looking for community members to help build an oral / written history project reflecting on how the changes to equality law has affected and changed their lives.

This may be a reflection from the lived experiences at the time these changes, or it may be a reflection on how the historic changes have changed their life experiences.

2027 Exhibition

Looking forward to 2027 we are looking to create an exhibition that aligns with Rochester 900 Anniversary of the building of the castle keep.

We are proud of the connection between Medway Pride & Rochester Castle as the iconic venue for our annual pride festival in 2027 we are planning to research historic figures who would today fit within the LGBTQIA+ community who have links to Rochester, Medway and the surrounding area. This will include people across the historic to modern timeline.

If you would like to be involved in the creation of any elements of the 2026 or 2027 exhibition please register your interest on this google form HERE

Hilary Cooke

Medway Pride CIC