In this month-long celebration, LGBTQ+ History Month serves as both a mirror reflecting the past and a beacon guiding the future.
Senior Jules Leffel-Elliott gave their opinion as a pansexual and genderfluid individual. They stated that this month is important to them for various reasons,
“It’s a month where representation and history is able to be shown off so that it can give [the LGBTQ+ community] a chance to express themselves to society,” Leffel-Elliott explained.
Being a part of such a community can change your views about basic life choices.
“It makes me realize that society is not accepting of a lot of different people and how that impacts a person when they don’t feel accepted, loved, represented, or anything like that,” Leffel-Elliott said.
Leffel-Elliott spoke on their opinion of LGBTQ+ representation in the media. There are more options when it comes to this type of media than in earlier years.
“I think the representation is getting much better, considering that you can see that pretty much anywhere now, which a lot of people hate, but the representation you see makes a lot of people more open and comfortable in their own skin,” Leffel-Elliott explained.
Their experiences demonstrate one of many in the community. Every person’s story is different but the LGBTQ+ community is always there to support each other.
There is still an ongoing struggle for LGBTQ+ rights, but this month celebrates the victories and progress made along the way. Through education, awareness and empathy, a more inclusive world for all can be built.
One of the first events starting the LGBTQ+ rights movement began in the early 1960s; although, the existence of the community was long before this. The human rights center was founded in 1924 by Henry Gerber in Chicago, Illinois, CNN stated. This began as a starting point for activists to have a safe space within their city.
Later, in 1950, The Mattachine Society was formed by Harry Hay and was one of the first gay rights groups founded in the United States. Gay rights became targeted starting in the 1950s.
On April 27, 1953 the President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed an executive order which banned homosexuals from working in the federal government by claiming them a security risk. The 1950s began attacking homosexuals. With behaviors similar to today, it is evident that in over 50 years, people’s opinions have not changed.
With the start of the 1960s, Illinois became the first state to decriminalize homosexuality, to which they repealed their sodomy laws. CNN claims that the police raid on June 28, 1969 was the start of what was known as the gay civil rights movement.
Police raids began in Stonewall Inn which resided in New York City. Marches and protests were commonly seen within the movement, some peaceful, some having to retaliate from police brutality.
Every year the anniversary of the Stonewall riots is recognized with a march by LGBTQ+ community members in New York City. The event has been renamed as the ‘Christopher Street Liberation Day’ and is considered the first ever gay pride parade.
With states beginning to lift the bans on same-sex marriage, the first being on January in 1973 by Maryland, the United States is seeing big strides in the movement.
Being able to remember and recognize this history is important.
“Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it,” George Santayana said. Without recognizing the history that follows the LGBTQ+ community, it just sets the community back.
One of the first federal gay rights bills introduced was on January 14, 1975. This bill addressed discrimination based on sexual orientation, which later went to the Judiciary Committee but was never brought up for consideration. In the later years Wisconsin became the first state to follow-up with this law by outlawing discrimination based on sexual orientation in 1982.
Stonewall National Monument was the first national monument to be constructed for the LGBTQ+ community, it was proposed in June of 2016. It was placed in and around Christopher Park and the Stonewall Inn and the surrounding streets and sidewalks that were the sites of the 1969 riot.
President Barack Obama was the first president to publicly and openly support the freedom to LGBTQ+ couples to marry in 2011, stated ABC News. Obama helped the community gain many advantages.
A few holidays that came with this, listed by the College of DuPage, was the recognition of the first National Coming Out Day which is observed on October 11. International Transgender Day of Visibility is on March 31 and was first recognized originally in 2009. This holiday was first created by Rachel Crandall in 2009 as a reaction to the lack of LGBTQ+ holidays celebrating transgender people.
On April 17 a Day of Silence is recognized as a protest to the bullying and harassment of the community. Students can take a day-long vow of silence to represent the silencing of LGBTQ+ students and their allies.
Additionally, there are specific holidays to recognize those who are a part of the community. Lesbian Visibility Day is April 26, Bisexual Day is on September 23, Asexuality Awareness week is held in October or November, and Intersex Awareness Day is on October 26. Being aware of these awareness days allows all kinds of people to feel welcome to their communities and feel accepted into society.
Within the month of October, people can recognize the important LGBTQ+ figures in history.
Marsha P. Johnson is considered one of the most powerful leaders in the community. She was a drag performer and a transgender individual. Johnson played a major part in helping lead the 1969 Stonewall Riots.
Another important figure in the Stonewall Riots was Sylvia Rivera. She was credited with being the first to fight back and had been a part of many of the marginalized groups the riots were fighting for.
One of the first openly gay athletes was Billie Jean King, the Insider wrote. She was a professional tennis player, after she was outed in 1981. Even now, the first openly gay hockey player affiliated with the NHL came out in 2020.
Luke Prokop is contracted with the Nashville Predators but currently plays in the AHL (American Hockey League), which is the minor league team associated with professional teams. He might be soon promoted into the NHL team which would make history for the community.
Gilbert Baker was the creator of the pride flag. In 1978 he was asked by a friend to make a symbol that would represent gay pride, so Bakery sewed together a rainbow flag to which he said each color on the flag represents a part that was important to the community.
This flag was first shown on June 25, 1978, for Gay Pride Day in San Francisco. The friend of Baker’s that suggested he make the flag was none other than Harvey Milk. Milk was one of the first few openly gay politicians to be elected in California. He was on San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors and became an outspoken LGBTQ+ activist and was assassinated in 1978 in City Hall over his beliefs.
Although there are a lot of positive reasons these figures should be remembered, there are many who have died due to their existence alone.
Brianna Ghey was a 16-year-old transgender girl from Cheshire, England. She was stabbed to death, in the open, in Culcheth Linear Park on February 11 of this year. Ghey was murdered by two of her 15-year-old classmates.
This murder is what sparked recent activism in the community as it shows anyone, no matter age, can exhibit discrimination.
Unique Banks was killed in a targeted mass shooting in Chicago on January 23, 2022. Zachee Imanitwitaho, a black transgender woman, was shot in Louisville, Kentucky outside of her workplace. KC Johnson was declared missing then found murdered only a day later. Jasmine “Star” Mack, another black transgender woman, was killed on January 7 in 2022. In total, 32 trans people were murdered in the year of 2022.
In this month of remembrance, there should be recognition for those who have sacrificed for the LGBTQ+ community. Additionally, recognizing the events that led the movement to where it is today.
