LGBT History Month would not exist without Rodney Wilson, a 29-year-old Missouri history high school teacher who came out to his class in 1994. After teaching about the Holocaust, Wilson shared that he could have been killed for being gay had he lived during that time. Wilson’s vision for the informative and celebratory month was to dedicate time to the teaching of LGBT history. Rodney Wilson is quoted as saying “The greatest act of advocacy for civil rights for LGBTQ Americans is the act of coming out.” His efforts garnered support from the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, Human Rights Campaign, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, the National Education Association and other groups.
October was chosen because it already coincided with other notable LGBT events such as National Coming Out Day (Oct. 11) and the 1979 National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. Other notable events in the month of October include:
- Spirit Day held annually on the third Thursday in October, this year being October 21st - first observed in 2010, people are encouraged to wear purple to support LGBT youth
- October marks the anniversary of Matthew Shepard’s murder in October of 1998.
- Intersex Awareness Day on Tuesday, October 26
- LGBTQ History Month is also celebrated in the UK, Hungary, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Ireland, Greenland, and the city of Berlin (the UK and Hungary celebrate in Feb, Berlin in June; not all are in October).
Additional current and historical information on LGBTQ Icons and LGBTQ Activism can be found at:
Under the direction and leadership of Stephen Loveless and the student staff, the Gender & Sexuality Resource Center (GSRC) has planned numerous events over the month including:
- All Month – Rainbow Flag Campaign
- October 4 – Queer History Month Documentary
- October 6 – Queer Crafting Conversation: Queer Women & Gender Expression
- October 12 – Alan Palaez Lopez, Latinx Heritage Celebration and LGBTQI+ Celebration Keynote Speaker
- October 13 – SpeakOUT Panel, Students and Faculty
- October 14 – Straight Facts About Queer Life
- October 18 – IFS Film Screening: Naz and Maalik
- October 19 – HIV Testing
- October 20 – 11th Annual Drag Show
- October 28 – Queer Clothing Swap
- October 29 – LGBTQ+ History Month Celebration
Visit The GSRC on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram for more information on these and additional events planned. Additional resources provided by the GSRC include Affinity Groups which provide a space to meet others that share similar interests and identities, and to find community.
For additional education and personal development related to diversity, equity and inclusion, the following resources are available: DDEI Education and Resources, DEI & Antiracism Resources from the UNC Libraries, the Education Equity Toolkit from the Colorado Department of Higher Education, and the UNITE workshops for faculty, staff, and students.
