The exhibitions you must see this LGBT+ History Month

Marvel at textiles by contemporary artist Diedrick Brackens, whose woven works explore queer and African American history and identities. Drawing on techniques from West Africa, the American South and Europe, and stories from poetry and folklore, Brackens reveals moments of male tenderness alongside histories of labour and migration.

Later in the month, the iconic performer, club promoter and fashion designer Leigh Bowery gets the all-star treatment at Tate Modern. Be dazzled by his boundary-pushing designs – which treated clothing and makeup as painting and sculptural works and challenged preconceptions of the body, sexuality and gender.

Can't wait until then? Some of his fabulous garments are on display now at the Fashion + Textile Museum's exhibition Outlaws: Fashion Renegades of 80s London, an immersive and nostalgic look at this iconic period in British fashion.

Discover the dreamlike worlds of British Surrealist and practising occultist Ithell Colquhoun, who was guided by her unconscious to create images exploring themes of sexuality, ecology, mysticism and magic. Although she didn't publicly identify as LGBTQ+, Colquhoun's writing explores Sapphic desire and chronicles her life on the Cornish coast, where an avant-garde network of queer artists flourished.

Bask in Mickalene Thomas's celebratory portraits of Black and LGBTQ+ women unwinding and reclaiming space in art history. Adorned with rhinestones, collages and bold patterns, Thomas's works subvert the male-dominated history of the art world that typically excluded her sitters. The exhibition space will be transformed into a nostalgic nod to her 1970s childhood, with retro decor echoing her vibrant works.

Celebrate Frankie Goes to Hollywood's frontman Holly Johnson in this major exhibition, which spotlights his creativity and pioneering influence on culture in 80s Britain. Discover the highs and lows of his evolution into a global superstar and LGBTQ+ icon, alongside stories from the community and the impact of an HIV diagnosis.

Partners in art, love and life, Cedric Morris and Arthur Lett-Haines transformed art education with the founding of the East Anglian School of Painting and Drawing in 1937, based out of their home in Suffolk. Their radical teaching enabled students to freely explore their creativity without academic constraints, shaping the careers of major artists including Lucian Freud and Maggi Hambling.

The 1980s was a transformative decade that saw enormous social, political and cultural change, marked by the austerity of the Thatcher government. Photographers captured the protests of the era, using their cameras as a tool for social change. Witness powerful images of race uprisings, the miners' strikes, section 28, the AIDS pandemic and gentrification.

Pablo Picasso, Amedeo Modigliani, Vanessa Bell. Get up close with these influential artists (and many more), who form part of one of the most important collections of modern art in the UK. Trace the journey of the Radev Collection, which moved between three queer homes bound by love and friendship.

Award-winning photographer Marge Bradshaw captures grassroots football team Liverpool Trans and Enby FC, amplifying the voices of underrepresented players from the LGBTQ+ community.

And one more for fans of the beautiful game... Learn about one of football's first female superstars and an LGBTQ+ icon in this exhibition celebrating the life and legacy of Lily Parr. In spite of the Football Association banning the women's game in 1921, Parr continued playing and scored an impressive 1,000 goals during her three-decade career.