How to Celebrate LGBT History Month
31 DAYS, 31 LIVES, 31 STORIES
October is LGBT History Month! It’s the perfect time for GSAs to step forward, get active, and start educating your peers and teachers about the important contributions of LGBT people throughout history -- especially in California, now that the FAIR Education Act has gone into effect!
GSA Network has partnered with Equality Forum to bring an excellent LGBT History Month resource to your GSA club. Equality Forum has created a great resource online for you featuring 31 leaders, heroes, and community members who have made a difference in the LGBT community. Each day in October, a new icon is featured with a video, biography, bibliography, images and other resources.
Also check out our FAIR Education Act guide, including a list of LGBT-inclusive history lesson resources , to make sure your school is following the updated education guidelines.
How To Use the LGBT History Month Resources at Your School
Here are some ideas about how to bring LGBT History Month resources to your school. Click here for a downloadable list of ideas!
- Make an exhibit at your school – Go to the LGBT History Month website and download the icons’ pictures and bios from each day of October to create an exhibit that you post on campus. You’ll need to find some place to put it up where it will be seen (i.e.- the library, cafeteria, gym, theatre, art room, or the main office).
- Learn about LGBT heroes in class – Ask your history teachers, or any supportive teachers, to read the brief description of each icon being profiled each day for LGBT History Month aloud at the start of each class during the month of October. If you're in California, remind them that they have to teach LGBT-inclusive history under the state's updated education guidelines. Short biographies and info are on the LGBT History Month website .
- Profile LGBT heroes on the PA system or in your school bulletin – A great way for GSAs to be heard and get information out is to submit an announcement for your daily bulletin, or to be read out each day on your school’s PA system. The announcement would include the brief bio about each icon each day being profiled on the LGBT History Month website . October has 31 days, which is perfect for 31 lives and 31 stories.
- Hold an event – Get active! Have an unveiling of your history exhibit. Sponsor a forum for teachers or an assembly for students. Hold a speakers’ panel where speakers present the info you download from the LGBT History Month website , or research online about famous LGBT people in history.
- Become the teachers – Use the bios about the icons on the LGBT History Month website to make presentations in history classes, or try presenting in art, theater, or any other applicable class depending on whoever the icons are. Pick someone from the current year's list or the previous years; do some fun research, and then present it to your class.
- Show Your School Board – Compile a list of famous LGBT people in history, with bios and pictures, from the LGBT History Month website and send the list to your school board with a letter saying that you had to learn about these famous and influential leaders on your own since they are not included in your school curriculum. Ask for the school board to consider including LGBT people in your district’s history curriculum.
Download the LGBT History Month PDF!
Download the LGBT History Month PDF - California version . The California version gives GSAs info on how to implement the FAIR Education Act during LGBT History Month.