Merton Council and the Metropolitan Police are looking to set up a Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) forum next month – to coincide with LGBT History Month.

The forum will be a way for residents to get together and raise any issues or concerns they might have and let the council and local police know what their needs are.

Merton libraries will be putting on special LGBT exhibitions and displaying relevant books throughout February and as part of the celebrations the council is organising a free public screening of the film Boys Don’t Cry (Certificate 18), staring Hilary Swank and Chloe Sevigny, on Tuesday 12 February at the Civic Centre in Morden. Doors open at 5.30pm for a 6pm start; everyone aged 18 and over is welcome to come along.

Councillor David Simpson, Cabinet Member for Partnership and Community Safety, said: “We are committed to celebrating diversity and promoting equality. We recognise the inequalities and disadvantages that exist in society and LGBT Month and the LGBT Forum are both part of our hard work to remove the barriers that leave some people in our society feeling excluded and oppressed.”

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