This October, the campus community is invited to celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month. The University’s official kickoff is Monday, Oct. 3, in Schine Student Center 304 from 4 to 6 p.m. The LGBTQ Resource Center, along with students and campus partners, has planned a full list of events throughout the month.
LGBTQ History Month was created in 1994 by Rodney Wilson, a high school history teacher in Missouri. In 1995, a resolution passed by the General Assembly of the National Education Association included LGBTQ History Month within a list of commemorative months. October was selected to coincide with National Coming Out Day (Oct. 11), which was already established, and the anniversary of the first march on Washington for gay and lesbian rights in 1979.
LGBTQ+ History Month provides an opportunity for the campus community to learn more about and celebrate the history, culture and contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and asexual (LGBTQIA+) communities through a host of educational events, social events and discussions. With planning led by the LGBTQ Resource Center, the month supports the ongoing efforts of the center to raise awareness and offer support to queer and trans students, staff and faculty and promote a sense of belonging and inclusion on campus and beyond.
“We invite Syracuse University and ESF community members to engage, connect and learn through the programs and events our students, staff and campus partners have planned in honor of LGBTQ+ History Month and to celebrate queer and trans individuals and their many intersecting identities, not just this month, but year-round,” says Jorge A. Castillo, director of the LGBTQ Resource Center.
“So many of our programs allow people to be themselves and have all of their identities validated. I really enjoy helping the programs for LGBTQ History Month come to life,” adds Janeice Lopez, graduate assistant in the LGBTQ Resource Center.
The celebration includes training opportunities, affinity group meetings and the now weekly Knit 3 Spill the Tea gatherings at the Intercultural Collective. The LGBTQ Resource Center will also be collecting signatures for the 2022-23 Queer and Trans Solidarity List. The list of names will be printed in The Daily Orange and published digitally on the LGBTQ Resource Center’s website as a public commitment to supporting and advocating for LGBTQIA+ community members. If you wish to have your name published in the Daily Orange, you must sign the list by 5 p.m. on Oct. 5, 2022.
This year’s keynote will once again be hosted in partnership with Multicultural Affairs and Latinx Hispanic Heritage Month. The LHHM and Fourth Annual LGBTQ+ History Month Potash Keynote speaker is Paola Ramos, author, Emmy award-winning journalist and advocate for the Latinx community. Ramos is host for VICE and VICE News, contributor for MSNBC and Telemundo News, and author of “Finding Latinx: In Search of the Voices Redefining Latino Identity.” She uses multimedia platforms to uplift the voices of marginalized communities, break down stereotypes and mobilize people towards civic engagement. Her keynote and Q&A are scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 13, at 7 p.m. in the Joyce Hergenhan Auditorium, Newhouse 3.
Explore some of the additional highlighted events listed below:
For more information or to request accommodations, contact the LGBTQ Resource Center by calling 315.443.0228 or emailing lgbtq@syr.edu.
