This October, Niles North is observing LGBTQ+ History Month. Distinct from Pride Month in June, this month centers on the history of the queer and trans community, remembering their struggles and learning about the impact of queer and trans people on history.
“To me, Pride Month is just [about] celebrating who we are, and [LGBTQ+] History Month is…to bring awareness to our struggles, and show people that we have struggled,” senior Anushka Kapoor, a female student who identifies as pansexual, clarified.
LGBTQ+ History Month began as Gay History Month, which was created in 1994 by gay Missouri high school teacher Rodney Wilson. The month was meant to coincide with National Coming Out Day (Oct. 11) and the anniversary of the first and second Marches on Washington for Gay and Lesbian Rights. Today, the month is dedicated to the history of everyone from the LGBTQIA community, not just gay men and women. President Barack Obama named LGBTQ+ History Month a national history month in 2009.
There are many ways to celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month. The Niles North Student Activities Office has provided a digital calendar for the month, filled with suggestions for activities and informational resources about the LGBTQ+ community. Sources like the LGBTQ+-focused website Pride and advocacy group GLAAD hailed the month when it began. In Savannah, Georgia, organizers have even built a temporary “Trans Museum of the Past, Present and Future” that will educate the community during LGBTQ+ History Month, until it is disassembled on Oct. 26.
Kapoor is involved with the Niles North GSA, which is dedicated to providing a safe space for LGBTQ+ students. They are “planning to make a poster sometime later this month, and right now, on the morning announcements…we are doing trivia questions,” Kapoor said.
“I feel like it’s just a month where people learn about what we stand for and who we are, because I feel like a lot of people are just ignorant. That’s where all the hate comes from. And, for this month, we can tell others about us….I just want to use the month to just bring more awareness…to queer struggles,” senior Mark Carausan, a nonbinary student said.
