Even though many people don’t know it, October is dedicated to LGBTQ history. The month is very important for the representation of people in the community and is a good time for both allies and LGBTQ+ individuals to learn about the community.

The celebration of October as LGBTQ+ History Month was started in 1994 by high school teacher Rodney Wilson. He was one of the first openly gay teachers at the time and had the idea for an LGBTQ+ history month to educate people about LGBTQ+ history and give more representation to the community.

“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,” wrote Wilson in a Harvard Countway Library article.

This month is important because it gives people a designated time to learn about historical LGBTQ+ events such as the Stonewall Riots (1969), Harvey Milk’s election and the change that he enacted (1930), and the National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights (1979). 

For a little background, the Stonewall Riots were riots at the Stonewall Inn in New York City and were a backlash opposing police brutality against the community at the time. The riots that consumed New York’s streets are now commemorated as Pride Month in June. Next, Harvey Milk was one of the first openly gay elected officials in the United States. He was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. He was unfortunately assassinated in 1978, roughly 20 years after he was sworn in. He worked toward human rights and environmental change. Last, but most certainly not least, The March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay rights was a rally that lead to a march in 1979. The march’s main goal was to ban discrimination against people who identified within the LGBTQ+ community. The march urged president Jimmy Carter to sign a bill that aimed to stop discrimination against people in the community, in the military, or with federal jobs. This also included adding the LGBTQ+ community to the Civil Rights Act of 1954. 

Representation of the LGBTQ+ community matters because it shows more children that they can be who they are. It is important for everyone to educate themselves on LGBTQ+ history, so that being said, please take this month to inform yourself on the history of the LGBTQ+ community to understand their triumphs and the hardships and struggles that they continue to face.