June marks the celebration of pride month, with thousands of pride parades happening across the country and even worldwide its a widely celebrated event, now in October we recognize LGBT history month. LGBT history month originated in 1994 and was created by a coalition of educators including highschool teacher Rodney Wilson, who believed there should be a month dedicated to recognizing and celebrating the history of the gay and lesbian community. In 1995 the General Assembly of the National Education Association officially commemorated LGBT history month as October to align with national coming out day on October 11th.
Rodney Wilson was an important figure leading the push to establish LGBT History month. As an openly gay history teacher in Missouri, he realized that many important historical figures were not being recognized as queer and there was a lack of education about the important events in LGBT history. This led to a complete absence in recognition of LGBT history and how integral it was with other events in history. This idea led Wilson to push for a month dedicated entirely to acknowledging the important history of the LGBT community. Wilson purposely chose the month of October because of its correspondence with important events in LGBT history. Both the first and second marches for Lesbian and Gay rights took place in October of 1979 and 1987. Although many of the rights they were marching for were not granted until recent times, they still were critical moments in forming a community amongst people in the United States who identified as lesbian or gay and creating a prescence.
Nowadays, although the flashy, colorful pride month sometimes steals some of the spotlight of LGBT history month in October, it’s an incredibly meaningful month and there are so many ways to recognize it. October 11th is national coming out day, October 17th is international pronouns day, and October is LGBTQ+ Spirit day. The month has truly expanded from its origins of recognizing gay and lesbian historical figures to celebrating so many aspects of the queer community. You can also recognize this month by spreading awareness of the many resources available for those who identify with the LGBTQ+ community. Here on campus at SFSU we have the Queer and Trans Resource Center that offers workshops, resources and links various student organizations such as Queer Alliance, Pride Committee, and CEASE/SAFE. Locally, the SF LGBT Center connects community members and provides resources and opportunities for those in need. Celebrate your pride this month, recognize some queer historical figures or achievements, and spread the word and the important resources available!