Pause. And Rewind... with Professor Emeritus Sue Sanders | Curiosity. Stubbornness. Determined. Facilitative.

“You can’t really make change if you don’t know your own history”. 

My first guest for 2025 on ‘Pause. And Rewind…’ certainly knows her history. And with February marking the 20th anniversary of LGBT+ History Month, now seemed like a great time to sit down & chat with one of its co-founders, Professor Emeritus Sue Sanders (she/her).

In 2005, Sue, along with Paul Patrick, launched the first ever LGBT+ History Month as a way of empowering & inspiring institutions & organisations to organise their own LGBT+ history focused events. That year, they saw over 100 events listed on the website. It continues to inspire thousands of events around the UK from panel discussions, lunch & learns & conferences through to celebratory events, drag shows & more and paved the way for similar & more recent initiatives & movements - something which Sue describes as “heartwarming as it’s what we’re all about”.

Sue is also CEO of Schools Out, an education charity founded in 1974 whose aim is to #educateOUTprejudice and make schools safe & inclusive for everyone. With Schools OUT also marking a huge anniversary this year, its 50th year, 2025 is a huge year for Sue & the small team of people who make this work happen.

Thinking back to those early days & the hostility faced by LGBTQ+ people, & shortly after with the introduction of Section 28, being part of such an effort to tackle homophobia wasn’t a smooth path to take. Sue & I discuss this in depth as well as the long lasting impact Section 28 continues to have on teachers, individuals & education today.

Sue’s origin story shows how formidable she is. Her early school life was tumultuous. She was essentially described as “illiterate on people” until someone saw something in her which led to her finding her way & a sense of belonging, starring in plays, running the school magazine & entering poetry competitions. 

Sue’s career has been varied & vast. From an educator, therapist, broadcaster, director & writer in schools, theatres & women’s prisons through to some obscure sales roles (which I loved hearing about) selling everything from encyclopedias, fire extinguishers & wigs! All of which instilled in her the fundamental skills that have supported her legacy around building trust, likeability & influencing people.

Sue shares more about her rebellious side & later appreciation for the importance of rules. “Clearly I’m not somebody that should be in an institution which I learnt fairly early”. Though as an educator, her authoritarian but enabling approach held an insistence on giving space to others to find themselves - something clearly drawn from her own experiences.

We chat about Sue’s almost 40 year relationship with her partner, Jean, and the joy their relationship brings from working & writing together & Jean’s analytical influence. We also cover the devastating loss of some of the individuals who have shaped Sue along the way.

Sue shares her pride in coining the term ‘usualise’ which she describes as “a useful little word that has made a bit of a difference”, how intersectionality has been a core part of her work long before it became a DEI focus, her work with Scotland Yard & the Stephen Lawrence enquiry and the crucial importance of language. At 78 years old, I ask Sue whether she plans on slowing down anytime soon…  have a listen for the answer. I’m sure you can guess!

This conversation was a history AND life lesson packed with rich anecdotes, a-ha moments, glorious insights & a lot of wisdom from one of the UK’s leading LGBTQ+ change makers. You’re going to love this as much as I did - enjoy.

Please take whilst listening as we do cover some challenging topics. And visit https://lgbtplushistorymonth.co.uk/ for events, updates & great resources!

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