Oct. 1 marks the beginning of the National LGBTQ History Month. To celebrate the beginning of this month, the LGBTQ+ Union is hosting a reception on Oct. 3 in the Colvard Student Union.
The reception will take place at 5:30 p.m. in the Old Main Lounge. All members of the LGBTQ community, allies and those interested from surrounding areas are welcome to attend.
According to The Advocate, Rodney Wilson founded LGBTQ history month 22 years ago. The history teacher felt there needed to be a month devoted to learning about the history of the LGBTQ community because there is a limit on what is studied in history in schools.
The reception is an opener for events that the LGBTQ organizations on campus plan to host throughout the month. Some of those events include a movie showing a “National Coming Out Day” celebration on Oct. 11 and a brown bag panel on LGBTQ history.
Nathan Chin, public relations representative for the LGBTQ+ Union, said he hopes these events “bring visibility toward the community and educate the public about the struggles the community has been through to reach where it is today.”
Nathan also said he was excited to participate in the month-long events because he knows he will “meet many new people who made the decision to be brave and live the way they wanted and not the way other people want them to live.”
This month cultivates a great deal of hope and excitement for members of the LGBTQ community. Bailey McDaniel, president of the LGBTQ+ Union, is enthusiastic to share what the month has to offer.
“October is my favorite month because I get to see so many people engage and embrace the LGBTQ community,” McDaniel said. “Whether they are wearing a pride flag around campus or attending a brown bag session, the support is very much needed and appreciated.”
According to McDaniel, each of the presidents from the various LGBTQ organizations on campus will speak about what they will be doing throughout the school year. The reception will also be a great networking event for new students looking to get involved.
