31 Days, 31 Lives, 31 Stories October is LGBTQ+ 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 LGBTQ+ people throughout history. GSA Network has partnered with Equality Forum to bring an excellent LGBTQ+ 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 LGBTQ+ community. Each day in October, a new icon is featured with a video, biography, bibliography, images and other resources. For more resources visit www.lgbthistorymonth.com
How to use the LGBTQ+ History Month resources at your school
Here are some ideas on how to bring LGBTQ+ History Month resources to your school:
- Make an exhibit at your school – Go to the LGBTQ+ History Month website and download the icons’ pictures and bios from each day in October to create an exhibit that you post on campus. You’ll need to find someplace to put it up where it will be seen (i.e.- the library, cafeteria, gym, theatre, art room, or the main office).
- Learn about LGBTQ+ heroes in class – Ask your history teachers, or any supportive teachers, to read the brief description of each icon being profiled each day for LGBTQ+ History Month aloud at the start of each class during the month of October. Short biographies and info are on the LGBTQ+ History Month website.
- Profile LGBTQ+ 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 a brief bio about each icon each day being profiled on the LGBTQ+ 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 LGBTQ+ History Month website, or research online about famous LGBTQ+ people in history.
- Become the teachers – Use the bios about the icons on the LGBTQ+ History Month website to make presentations in history classes, or try presenting in art, theater, or any other class that makes sense for the icon you pick. 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 LGBTQ+ people in history, with bios and pictures, from the LGBTQ+ 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 LGBTQ+ people in your district’s history curriculum.
- Get creative with your GSA! – Brainstorm fun and creative ideas with your GSA to make the month special to your community and interests, and share your ideas back with us on our social media @gsanetwork