From Moonlight, a movie about a young gay and black man growing up in Miami, winning an Academy Award in 2016 to artists like Lil Nas X breaking down cultural barriers as a black gay man in country music. Visibility in the media is an important topic when it comes to minority groups. The second is due to existing traditions such as National Coming Out Day on October 11th and planned around the first two marches on Washington for lesbian and gay rights back in 19 in the same month of October.Īnother reason for this month lies in the need for role models to be shown to people who have never heard of them before. The first is that school would be in session, providing schools with the opportunity to connect with students about this specific history. In 1994, Rodney Wilson, a teacher at a Missouri high school, believed that a month should be devoted to the learning and celebration of LGBT history and chose October for two main reasons. LGBT History Month is not to be confused with LGBT Pride Month in June, which was started to commemorate the Stonewall Riots of 1969. For the month of October, LGBT History Month is used to recognize historical icons that have had an impact on the fight for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights over decades of history as well as members of the community that have made great contributions towards humanity in general.
