22 Nov 2024

LGBTQIA+ History Month is designed to highlight and celebrate the achievements of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered celebrities, and human beings. Every year, the organization chooses thirty-one new icons, their accomplishments, and shares them with the world in October, for the entire month.

How the LGBTQIA+ History Month began…

In 1994, Mr. Rodney Wilson, who was a Missouri high school teacher, believed that there needed to be more of a celebration and recognition for teaching the history of gay and lesbians, and how it all began. October was selected by a group of like-minded individuals, as National ‘Coming Out Day’ is standardly on October 11th.

Gay and Lesbian History Month was first backed by these groups and organizations:

  • GLAAD
  • The Human Rights Campaign
  • The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force
  • The National Educational Association
  • And many other national organizations

In 2006, the Equality Forum assumed responsibility for providing content, promotion, and resources for LGBTQIA+ history month.

Celebrating Heritage

The LGBTQIA+ community is the only community spread worldwide that is not taught history at home, in public schools, or in any religiously based school or institution. LGBTQIA+ History Month provides positive role models, builds community, and makes the civil rights statement about “extraordinary national and international contributions.”

Equality Forum

This national and internationally recognized and based group, Equality Forum, is a civil rights organization with an educational based focus. The group coordinates with LGBTQ History Month, produces numerous documentary films, undertakes high-impact initiatives, and presents the largest annual national and international LGBTQ civil rights summit each year.

The LGBTQ History Month Resources

If you are seeking resources to help promote awareness or to teach about LGBTQIA+ history, you should visit the LGBT History Month’s Resource page. Not only do they offer ideas for marketing and businesses to fully embrace the LGBTQIA+ history, but also simply ideas for people to do in their own cities, states, and towns.

Here are some of the ideas for the media, to help guide and properly report:

  • Explore the local angle. Click here to see the local connections for each of the 31 Icons. Search by clicking on the State or City shown in the tag cloud.
  • Embed the LGBT History Month videos on your website. The Icon video of the day will automatically update each day throughout October.
  • Plan a story each week in October featuring the LGBT History Month Icons of the upcoming week.
  • Tie into LGBT History Month with stories of LGBT Icons in your area.
  • Find a local high school or college group creating an LGBT History Month exhibit and profile the organization and their exhibit.
  • Use our photos for free! All the LGBT high-res Icon photos can be downloaded from this site and used for coverage or promotion of LGBT History Month. Contact mlazin@equalityforum.com with any special requests.
  • For story ideas, high-res photos, additional resources, or contact assistance for LGBT History Month Icons, contact Malcolm Lazin, Executive Director, at mlazin@equalityforum.com or 215-732-3378, ext. 111.

Citations:

LGBT History Month

National LGBT Cancer Network