Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender (LGBT) History Month Resources

In January 1994, Rodney Wilson, a social studies senior high school teacher in Mehlville, Missouri, began to organize people around the country to celebrate our history. Wilson was appalled at the failure of textbooks to mention any LGBT history. He organized a grass-roots network of teachers and community leaders towards creating a month of celebration that focused on the contributions of LGBT people. October was chosen because it built on already existing traditions like Coming Out Day (October 11) and the anniversaries of the first two LGBT marches on Washington in 1979 and 1987.\t

LGBT History Month has been endorsed by The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, The Human Rights Campaign Fund, The National Gay & Lesbian Task Force and other national organizations. In 1995, John Kitzhaber, the Governor of Oregon, declared October 1995 Lesbian & Gay History month in his state. In 1996, the governors of Massachusetts and Connecticut issued similar proclamations, as did the mayors of Boston and Chicago. In July of 1995, the National Education Association passed an amendment that supports the concept of a Lesbian & Gay History Month.

GLSEN is proud to be a part of LGBT History Month. We invite you to participate in your own locale, with the resources and the creativity that you can bring to this work. October is a month of pride and a month of remembrance. It is about visibility and acknowledgment. It is about you. Join the celebration!

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