Jadyn Ives, Staff Writer
For the LGBT community, October is one of the most important months. Many non-LGBT people commonly mistake October for another important LGBT date.
“It [October] is LGBT Pride Month,” guessed NHS freshman Ian Klepacki.
October is actually LGBT History month. It was founded by Missouri high school history teacher Rodney Wilson. The month itself was first celebrated in 1994. LGBT stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Trans*. Trans* is written like that since there are many forms of trans, including transgender, transsexual, trans man/woman, etc.
In the US there are many laws regarding LGBT rights and while they have come a long way, there is still much progress to be made. So far, Hawaii is the only state allowing LGBT members full rights.
"There's no way I could live with myself if I thought I was diminishing another human being's ability to reach their full capacity," said Neil Abercrombie, the current Governor of Hawaii.
The only right that is legal nationwide is Same-Sex Sexual Activity and while lesbians, gays, and bisexuals are openly allowed to serve in the military, trans* are not. There are other countries where the LGBT communities have full rights and discrimination is banned on all levels. It is the goal of many LGBT members to get the rest of the United States like those countries.
At NHS, there is a club to help those in the LGBT community as well as educate the school as a whole. The Gay-Straight Alliance offers support to any person who has questions regarding the LGBT community. At the meetings, they do various activities and talk about their experiences, offering help to those in need. A few weeks ago the GSA hosted Ally Week, where every day, more and more information was given on how to be a good ally to support your fellow peers.
“GSA is meant to create a safe space for sexual minority youth and their allies. We also aim to create a more tolerant school environment in general,” said Mrs. English, one of the club advisors.
October was named LGBT History Month since National Coming Out Day (which was founded six years prior) is October 11. LGBT History month celebrates the achievements of figures in the LGBT community by sharing them with the world. The figures are chosen based on either their contributions to the community, their status as a national hero, and/or their influences to LGBT civil rights. Each day in October a different person is honored through biographies and videos.
“LGBT History Month is important because it gives us visibility and really just shows the world that we [LGBT members] are everywhere. We also have to owe it to people who fought to get the rights that we have now,” said Ellie Nikitchyuk, one of three student leaders in the GSA.
Some more well-known honored LGBT community members are Alexander the Great (Bisexual), Leonardo da Vinci (Gay), Ellen DeGeneres (Lesbian), Leslie Feinberg (Transgender), Neil Patrick Harris (Gay), Eleanor Roosevelt (Bisexual), and RuPaul (Gay).
There are people out there who are not LGBT but are still aware about what LGBT’s are going through and the fight to get their rights.
“I know that being LGBT is very challenging emotionally. As in anything involving sexuality, for anyone who is LGBT or straight, it can be very mentally confusing. Those who are LGBT are also bullied and abused in many cases,” said NHS freshman Thomas Jensen.
LGBT History Month is a great opportunity for everyone to further educate themselves on this generally unknown topic.
Photo Credit; thecarconnection.com
