Within the arts, culture, and heritage sectors, it can be easy to assume your venue is welcoming to people from the LGBTQ+ community. After all, you’ve most likely never done anything deliberately to exclude these groups. But accessibility is not only about physical restrictions to entry. It is a mind-set or an attitude: a strong belief that everyone is welcome in your venue, and so you need to make them feel that way. And in order to truly deliver this, you really need to dig deeper and put yourself in their shoes.

This guide will look at some of the barriers that LGBTQ+ people face, particularly in Northern Ireland, and what practical steps you can take to ensure this group feels welcomed in your venue.

Finally, we have a checklist of things to consider when reaching out to LGBTQ+ audiences. It’s not a comprehensive list, and you don’t need to do every single one of these activities, but hopefully it will help get you thinking and walking in this audience’s shoes.

This resource was put together in collaboration with Outburst Arts, a queer arts festival held annually across Belfast. We’re keen to improve and expand the resource, so please contact us with any thoughts you may have.