Wilfred Owen was an English poet and soldier who fought in the First World War. His poems spoke the truth about the conditions of the trenches and the horrors of gas warfare. He unfortunately lost his life a week before the signing of the Armistice which ended the war.

Gertrude “Ma” Rainey was one of the earliest Black blues singers and is known as “The Mother of Blues”. Ma Rainey had a relationship with another blues singer, Bessie Smith. It was believed their relationship was romantic and today Ma Rainey might have used the word bisexual to describe herself.

Sappho was a Greek poet from the island of Lesbos who wrote poems about love and longing between women. The word “lesbian” comes from the name of the island Sappho lived on.

Jackie Shane was an American soul and rhythm and blues singer who is best known for the single “Any Other Way” and being a lead vocalist for the band The Motley Crew. It is believed Jackie Shane was trans although they never publicly spoke openly about their gender identity.

Lili Elbe was a Danish trans woman. She was an artist whose life was brought to the big screen in the movie The Danish Girl.

Oscar Wilde was one of London’s most popular playwrights who is best remembered for his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray. Today, Wilde might describe himself as gay.

Alan Turing was a gay mathematician who played a pivotal role in cracking the Enigma code that was used by the Nazis to code their messages. His work enabled the Allies to defeat the Nazis in World War II.

Gilbert Baker was a gay American artist and activist. He designed the rainbow-coloured Pride Flag after meeting Harvey Milk who challenged him to create a symbol of pride for the LGBT+ community.

Flora Murray was a Scottish doctor and surgeon. She was an active participant of the Suffragette movement and cared for Pankhurst and other Suffragettes after their release from prison. During WWI Murray and her partner Dr Louisa Garrett Anderson founded the Women’s Hospital Corps to treat injured soldiers.