LGBTQ+ HISTORY MONTH 2022

 

October is Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Non-binary (LGBTQ+) History Month in the United States. The month is meant to highlight and celebrate the history and achievements of LGBTQ+ people in the United States. According to GLAAD, “during the early years, the celebration was largely marked by a call to action and commemoration. But since then, LGBT History Month has blossomed into a national coordinated effort to highlight exemplary role models from the LGBT community.” It is celebrated as an opportunity to recognize the lives and achievements of those who have contributed to the progression of LGBTQ+ movements around the world and continue to do so.

LGBT History Month was created in 1994 by Rodney Wilson, a high school history teacher in Missouri. In 1995, a resolution passed by the General Assembly of the National Education Association included LGBT History Month within a list of commemorative months. October was selected because schools are in session and to coincide with National Coming Out Day (Oct. 11), which was already established. October also includes the anniversary of the first march on Washington for gay and lesbian rights in 1979.

The month now also includes Spirit Day on Oct. 20, on which people around the country wear purple in support of LGBT youth; Ally Week, a week in which allies against LGBT bullying are celebrated; and the anniversary of 21-year-old Matthew Shepard’s murder on Oct. 12, 1998, which led to the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act in 2009.

Rodney Wilson was born in 1965 in Missouri and grew up watching “Jerry Falwell’s Old Time Gospel Hour” on television. Until his 20s, he was a fundamentalist Christian. When he developed an interest in history, he found his calling as a teacher. He wrestled with his sexuality and read everything he could find about gay history.  In 1994, as a teacher at Mehlville High School in suburban St. Louis, Wilson came out to his history class during a lesson about the Holocaust. If he had lived in Germany during World War II, he explained, he likely would have been imprisoned and murdered by the Nazis for being gay.

Wilson said, “LGBT history gave me self-confidence as a gay person and strengthened my resolve to live, as best I could, an honest, open and integrated life.” He has also said, “The greatest act of advocacy for civil rights for LGBT Americans is the act of coming out.” 

The person shown on the image at the top of this blog post is Mondaire Jones . He is the first out gay black congressman in the United States. Jones said, "I never imagined someone like me could run for Congress, let alone win."  He was selected as lgbthistorymonth.com's History Month Icon for October 22, 2022 and is an example of why LGBT History Month is important. Mondaire, and the hundreds of other Icons featured on the website, provide a broad and expansive view into the impact that LGBT people and supporters have made on our world and our lives. 

To learn more about Rodney Wilson, Mondaire Jones and the other LGBT History Icons, CLICK HERE or visit https://lgbthistorymonth.com/icon-search.

In many organizations, significant numbers of people who are LGBTQ+ fear unconscious bias and discrimination so they conceal aspects of their lives at work. This concealment can come at great personal cost, with some workers experiencing isolation, invisibility, and mental health challenges.

A report by Stonewall1 found that this is especially true for people who are transgender: 65% of respondents who are transgender said they didn’t feel confident disclosing their identity at work, while others reported particularly high levels of workplace discrimination and harassment.

Throughout LGBTQ+ History Month and beyond, if we can take the time to learn more about the experiences and contributions of LGBTQ+ people throughout history, we can help create a richer shared, and more fact-based understanding. This hopefully will lead to reduced incidences of discrimination and harassment for everyone.

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