Dear DPS community,
We are excited to celebrate LGBTQ+ history month! LGBTQ+ history month is an annual celebration that takes place throughout October dedicated to honoring queer communities and their rich history. During this month, we celebrate the history of 31 LGBTQ+ icons, with a new person being celebrated each day.
This celebration was officially established in the U.S. in 1994 by Rodney Wilson, a queer highschool teacher in Missouri. The month was selected due to established traditions and historical significance, such as Coming Out Day and the alignment with the school calendar, fostering a community-wide tradition. It also commemorates the significant marches and protests within the queer community, such as the 1978 Seattle Pride March and The Great March in Washington. These events play a significant role in history for LGBTQ+ rights and the recognition of the AIDS epidemic, which affected many gay men and other LGBT groups in the 1980s to 1990s. LGBTQ+ History Month is not just celebrated in the U.S. it is also celebrated in Canada, Brazil, Greenland and Australia.
These events have helped make significant improvements to LGBTQ+ rights across the world. Nevertheless, the fight for LGBTQ+ rights isn’t over. In 12 countries, gay relationships between men are punishable by death. In 65 other countries homosexual relationships, even between consenting adults are banned. While the countries that count homosexuality as a crime are most certainly a minority, being part of the LGBTQ+ community is considered taboo in many parts of the world and LGBTQ+ youth are more likely to be the victims of violent hate crimes.
Here in DPS, several schools have a Gay Student Alliance (GSA) club that provides a safe space for queer students to receive support from both peers and teachers. Several more schools offer a queer literature course where students can read and learn about queer authors.
Check out more online resources here,
The Trevor Project helps connect LGBTQ+ youth.
The Human Rights Campaign provided online and phone support for LGBTQ+ youth.
We encourage you to explore into LGBTG+ events and groups within your school and community and stay updated about events happening within DPS!
Have a good LGBTQ+ history month!