Finally some cooler weather! Welcome to LGBTQ+ History Month, y’all!
The story of LGBTQ+ History Month reaches back to the founding of National Coming Out Day, inaugurated by Robert Eichberg and Jean O’Leary. NCOD occurs every year on October 11 and began in 1988 on the first anniversary of the Second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. This march, following the first in 1979, was also the public unveiling of the historic NAMES Project AIDS Memorial quilt. Read the official demands from the Second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights here.
LGBTQ+ History Month proper was created in 1994 by Missouri high school teacher Rodney Wilson, who gathered other community leaders under a shared vision for a month dedicated to LGBTQ+ history. October was chosen to encompass National Coming Out Day and extend the celebration and reflection inherent in the date of October 11. Learn more about the history of LGBTQ+ History Month here.
Several awareness days exist in October as well!
October 8 is International Lesbian Day, the origins of which are a bit uncertain. Most trace it back to a march that occurred in New Zealand in 1980. The day of October 8 was chosen to mirror International Women’s Day on March 8.
October 15 marks National Latinx AIDS Awareness Day (NLAAD). Inaugurated in 2003 by the Hispanic Federation and the Latino Comission on AIDS, NLAAD highlights the specific needs of Latinx people when it comes to HIV/AIDS awareness, prevention, and stigma.
International Pronouns Day happens on the Third Wednesday of LGBTQ+ History Month, meaning it falls on October 15 this year. International Pronouns Day was founded in 2018 by Shige Sakurai to acknowledge and celebrate the use of the correct pronouns for everybody.
October 19 is National LGBT Center Awareness Day – hey, that’s us! National LGBT Center Awareness Day uplifts and celebrates the work that community LGBT Centers do in welcoming all.
Intersex Awareness Day occurs on October 26, founded in 2003 by Emi Koyoma and Betsy Driver. October 26 is the anniversary of a 1996 protest in Boston by intersex individuals.
The last week in October is Asexual Awareness Week. AAW began in 2010 with a movement by Sara Beth Brooks. The first AAW was held mostly online, and has since grown to be celebrated nationwide!
And although it’s not an official part of the calendar, Halloween is October 31 – sometimes lovingly referred to as “Gay Christmas!”
Today, October 15, also marks the end of Hispanic Heritage Month. Hispanic Heritage Month is dedicated to exploring, celebrating, and honoring the contributions of Latinx communities to the United States every year from September 15 to October 15. Much in the same way as LGBTQ+ History Month holds NCOD, Hispanic Heritage Month runs from mid-September to mid-October to cover key Independence Days for several countries:
- September 15 – Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua
- September 16 – Mexico
- September 18 – Chile
- September 21 – Belize
Learn more about Hispanic Heritage Month here and learn more about the intersection of queerness and Latinx identity here.
This October, we are grateful for the community that supports one another to flourish.
Take care, and as always, the LGBTQ Center is here to connect to the resources, support, and education you need!