When people think of the month October, they almost always think first of Halloween.
However, there is more to the spooky month than just tricks and treats.
October is also LGBTQ+ History Month. LGBTQ+ History Month was founded in October 1994 by Rodney Wilson. Wilson was a high school teacher in Missouri and the first openly gay public school teacher in his state. He chose October because the first and second LGBT Marches on Washington occurred in October of 1979 and 1987 respectively.
One very important day in LGBTQ+ month is National Coming Out Day, which is celebrated on Oct. 11. On this day in recent years, many individuals have taken to posting on Twitter and other social media platforms to announce their sexuality to the world. Others choose to privately “come out of the closet” to those closest to them.
One way people can celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month is by researching some famous or historical members of the LGBTQ+ community. Some suspected historical LGBTQ+ community members were Alexander The Great (bisexual), Leonardo Da Vinci (gay), Marsha P. Johnson (transgender), Frida Kahlo (bisexual), Michelangelo (gay), Harvey Milk (gay), Florence Nightingale (lesbian), Eleanor Roosevelt (bisexual), and Oscar Wilde (bisexual).
There’s also some amazing LGBTQ+ musicians to research, such as Josephine Baker (bisexual), classical composer Leonard Bernstein (gay), David Bowie (bisexual), Tracy Chapman (lesbian), Lady Gaga (bisexual), Mick Jagger (bisexual), Elton John (gay) and Freddie Mercury (bisexual).
There are also actors and actresses that are a part of the LGBTQ+ community, such as Laverne Cox (transgender), Ian McKellen (gay), and famous drag queen RuPaul (gay). People could even do research on former presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, who is gay, or designer Gianni Versace, who is also gay.
Sophomore sociology major Kiri Ashley said, “LGBTQ+ History Month was never really something I thought about because it was never talked about at my high school.” Ashley also said, “it was comforting to know that LGBTQ+ History Month was an actual thing and people cared.”
Senior sociology major Alex Fleming said, “LGBTQ+ History Month is an opportunity to learn about the people who protested and fought for our rights and did everything leading up to today so that we could be where we are now.”
When asked about incorporating the month into schools, Fleming said, “I think that would be very important especially in middle school and high school because that’s when a lot of people are coming into who they are. If they are questioning their sexuality, having that information available to them would really help that process along because they would know about it and know that it’s okay.”
Fleming said that she celebrates LGBTQ+ History Month by watching documentaries and reading articles to educate herself.
While Halloween overshadows LGBTQ+ history during the month of October, many people believe LGBTQ+ history should still be discussed and celebrated.
To celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month this year, try researching Marsha P. Johnson, a prominent figure in the Stonewall uprising of 1969, or Harvey Milk, the first openly gay elected official in the history of California.
Graphic by Katelyn Miller.
