Education Project
We may be a smidge biased, but one of the best months of the year is quickly approaching this October – LGBTQA+ History Month. Let’s take a look at the brief history of this month-long celebration, wrapping up with a few ways you could participate with your schools or businesses.
History of the History Month
LGBTQA+ History Month is a month-long celebration of the remarkable and unique history of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, and asexual/aromantic (LGBTQA+) community as well as the contribution of the civil rights movements to the advancement of gay rights. Rodney Wilson, a history teacher at a Missouri high school, originated the celebration in 1994. A motion brought up by the National Education Association’s General Assembly the following year added LGBTQA+ History Month to the list of celebratory months. October was chosen as the month of observance as National Coming Out Day already existed as a holiday on October 11. Also, the anniversary of the first march for gay rights in Washington took place on October 14, 1979.
LGBTQA+ History Month offers the chance to discover a great deal about the history of the LGBTQA+ movement, as well as what initiatives will be effective in fostering communities and promoting role models that best represent and address the concerns of the LGBTQA+ community.
The Equity Forum started selecting 31 LGBTQA+ important figures in 2006 and dedicating the month to highlight each of them. Each year, icons are chosen based on their accomplishments in their chosen fields, their reputation as national treasures, or their strong support of LGBTQA+ civil rights; icons may be living or departed. With this annual holiday, organizers have thus far honoured nearly 500 icons.
Ways to Celebrate
- Learn about LGBTQA+ history in your classes. Include the LGBTQA+ Icon of the day in class; post the daily poster, read a quick history to start the beginning of a class or day.
- Host an event. Hold an unveiling of your LGBTQA+ History Month exhibit. Find posters and Icon Bios from www.lgbthistorymonth.com, invite local speakers, educators, or local community members to attend or participate in a forum.
- Write an article. Submit an article to your school’s daily bulletin, or to the school newspaper or newsletter.
- Approach your administration. Compile a list of famous LGBTQA+ Icons with bios and pictures from the resources and archives on this site. Send these items with a letter and urge your school’s administrators to consider LGBTQA+ inclusion in the history curriculum.
- If you don’t have a student group, start one! Thousands of schools have created gay-straight alliances and LGBTQA+ organizations; you can too. Host a LGBTQA+ History Trivia Night for a Welcome Mixer.
