The month of October is LGBTQ+ History Month! Some people may have thought that was back in June, which is pride month, but October focuses more on the action and history that brought us to where we are today. Even though we still have a long ways to go before we reach true liberation, we have come a long way and owe it to the incredible people who fought for the rights we have today. So let's learn a little history together!
Hey, all!
I'm so happy you're here.
Today's post is going to be a wee bit different than what you might be used to.
Usually, we chat about TransTape and how amazing it is,
Which we'll still talk about, just not nearly as much.
But today we're going to have a little history lesson.
And not just any history lesson, a history lesson on the LGBTQ+ community!
If you didn't already know, the month of October is recognized as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (+ 2 Spirit and more!) History Month!
LGBTQ+ History Month is recognized in multiple countries, some during different months like the UK does in February, across the world, including the US, Canada and the UK.
There are some people out there who don't understand the purpose or point of LGBTQ History Month, but it's probably a lot more important and significant than you think. If you're one of these people, I'd like to formally invite you, or rather call you in (not call you out), to learn about the LGBTQ+ community and its history.
Some of you might have actually assumed that's what pride month in June is all about.
Totally cool if you did, by the way. You're not alone and you can celebrate history in June too!
But October, for the countries that celebrate it then like the US, is more focused on celebrating the community's triumphs throughout history.
Please don't hate me too much for talking a lot about the US history, I promise I'll touch on some international events and wins as well!
Anyways, I won't hold you up any longer.
Let's get into it!
Remind Me Again, What's LGBTQ+ History Month?
And why do I keep adding the plus sign after the Q?
Glad you asked, I'm now going to tell you way too much information.
Back in the 90's, specifically 1994, a high school teacher from Missouri named Rodney Wilson spoke out and stated that there should be a month dedicated to teaching the history of the LGBTQ+ community.
Shout-out to Rodney for also being the first openly gay public school teacher in Missouri.
At the time, it was less common to see the plus (+) sign at the end of LGBTQ (+). This is because, as we continue to evolve as human beings, we are discovering new identities and this is a beautiful thing! The plus sign is a way of acknowledging that there are many identities out there, arguably, an infinite amount of identities!
October was chosen because it already included the October 11th tradition of National Coming Out Day, which was originally celebrated in 1988.
Notice how these things weren't that long ago? We're only in 2024 at the time that this blog was written.
National Coming Out Day came to be out of feminism and the belief that homophobia, and other -phobias, thrive in silence. And many people feel that coming out is a form of activism and helps fight against the oppression, and suppression, of the LGBTQ+ community.
The date of October 11 was chosen because it is the anniversary of the Second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights in 1987.
It's a common shared belief that people who are aware of their loved ones belonging to the community are less likely to cling to homophobic, or transphobic etc, beliefs.
Unfortunately, too many of us know that this isn't always the case.
And I want to take a moment to recognize that not everyone is in a safe enough environment to come out to their loved ones. And just because someone hasn't come out officially to you or their family, that does not negate the legitimacy of their identity.
LGBTQ+ people don't owe you, or anyone, a formal "coming out". Someone's identity and whether or not they share it with people is no one's business but their own. That's that.
But enough about coming out day, what else do we have?
History month encourages people to be proud and open about being apart of the LGBTQ+ community!
And it also encourages people outside of the community to learn more about the history of discrimination and how this fight, for lack of better word, is still ongoing.
2012 was the first time two school districts in the United States decided to celebrate and participate in LGBTQ+ History Month.
Only 12 years ago!
And it wasn't until 2015 that same-sex couples were allowed to be married in the United States based on the Supreme Court ruling Obergefell v. Hodges.
Just 9 years ago on June 26th during pride month! And the United States is only 1 of 36 countries to allow same sex marriage. And there are 195 countries in the world, which means only about 20% of the world legally recognizes same sex marriage in 2024.
In 2024, Thailand was the first Southeast Asian country to legalize same-sex marriage.
In 2024, Greece became the first Orthodox Christian country to legalize same-sex marriage.
In 2024, Estonia legalized same-sex marriage.
It's evident that we are moving in the right direction and these are huge wins for these countries, but I hope this puts things into perspective in the sense that the LGBTQ+ community is continuously fighting the good fight.
After all, you'd think by 2024 we'd have it together by now.
There are so many days in October that honor different parts of the community, and I'm going to share those days with you right now before we move on.
October 8th - International Lesbian Day
October 11th - International Coming Out Day
Third Wednesday of October (16th) - International Pronouns day
Third Thursday of October (17th) - Spirit Day (LGBTQ+ Youth)
October 26th - Intersex Awareness Day
Last Week of October (27th - 31st) - Asexual Awareness Week
Give Me More History - Stonewall
Well, since you're twisting my arm about it.
Some of you may have heard of the Stonewall Riots.
If not, let me tell you a little something.
I could go on for a very long time about the Stonewall Uprising and the impact it truly had on the the LGBTQ+ community, but I'm not here to write a 10 page paper which is why I included a wiki link above.
In the early morning in Greenwich Village, NYC, on June 28th 1969, undercover police officers inside the Stonewall Inn called for back-up and shortly after, their back-up arrived announcing themselves and that they were going to "take the place."
Or so they thought.
At this point in time, meaning the late 1960s, there were many social movements gaining traction.
The African American Civil Rights Movement, The Counterculture of the 1960s, and anti-war protests were all among the active movements.
These movements as well as the progressive environment of Greenwich Village served as a catalyst for the Stonewall Uprising.
It wasn't uncommon for places to deny service to openly gay people, as well as drag performers and anyone outside the cis white male norm, so the Mafia owned Stonewall Inn became well known among members of the marginalized community.
And typically, members inside the bar would be tipped off about a police raid.
But on this particular night, no one really knew what was about to happen.
As the police stormed into the bar, the overhead lights were turned on and patrons were lined up against the wall and asked for identification.
And as gross as it is, people dressed in feminine clothing were taken to a bathroom stall to have their "gender confirmed" by a police officer. If the officer decided that these people were "cross-dressers," they were arrested. Does this remind you of anything we're dealing with today?
Unlike many other raids by the police, this one was different.
People were refusing to show identification and refusing to go with the officers.
Good for them.
The people who weren't being arrested were released, but they remained outside the bar.
As they waited outside the bar, more people began to take notice of what was happening and before long, a large crowd had formed.
The crowd mostly consisted of homosexuals and members of the LGBTQ+ community, but others were in the crowd as well. We love true ally-ship!
As drag performers were being shoved from the bar, and still allegedly (likely) being beaten inside the bar, the crowd grew increasingly hostile and began booing and shouting things like, "Gay power!" at the police as well as throwing pennies and beer bottles at the wagons transporting people.
When Stormé DeLarverie was being taken into custody and was fighting against the arresting officer, she turned to the crowd and uttered the words that are said to have started the riots, "Why don't you guys do something?"
After that moment, the crowd broke out into a mob and they most certainly did something.
This attracted more bystanders, including Dave Van Ronk from another bar two doors down and who was an anti-war protester.
And a mentor of Bob Dylan.
The crowd attempted to tip over police vehicles, slash tires, and caused the officers in those vehicles to flee.
But the riots rightfully continued.
The crowd began throwing garbage cans, bricks, bottles and anything they could get their hands on at the windows to shatter them and even used a parking meter that they pulled from the ground to break down the door barricaded by the police officers.
Before long, the bar was in flames.
Literal flames.
Whether the fire was started by the police or the mob is uncertain, but the riots continued nonetheless. Yes, riots with an "s" indicating plural.
The Stonewall Riots lasted days and the people who were being forced indoors to hide themselves were now out in the streets fighting for their right to visibility.
These riots are why we have pride parades and pride month.
The first Pride March in June of 1970 to commemorate the anniversary of Stonewall, quickly spread to cities across the U.S. and around the world, becoming an annual tradition that celebrates LGBTQ+ identity and resilience.
These riots highly impacted the formation of queer rights organizations and amplified the voices that the world had been ignoring for far too long.
Organizations including the Gay Liberation Front and the Gay Activists Alliance, which sought to promote visibility and demand equal rights.
Some of this, or maybe all of it for some people, may sound like a bunch of angry people finally hit their limit.
And if you think that, you're kinda right.
LGBTQ+ people have faced centuries of discrimination, and they're not the only ones, and this was the tipping point. They had enough and refused to live in silence behind closed doors any longer.
I've only grazed the surface of Stonewall, but I hope this gives you the general idea about how important it was for the LGBTQ+ community.
Other people who played major roles in the Stonewall Uprising and LGBTQ+ activism that are incredibly inspiring are Marsha "Pay It No Mind" Johnson and Sylvia Rivera.
Click on their names to learn more.
More
I hope you found that last section interesting.
After Stonewall, the LGBTQ+ rights movement really started to take off and hit milestones.
Such as the American Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality from its list of mental disorders in 1973.
That's right, prior to 1973, homosexuality was considered a mental disorder.
Another thing the American Psychiatric Association did was remove transgender identity from its list of mental disorders in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) in 2012.
Only 12 years ago, guys.
Oh, you want more history?
You asked.
In the 1980s, the AIDS epidemic disproportionately affected the LGBTQ+ community and organizations like ACT UP (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power) advocated for disease awareness, demanded government action and supported those in the community suffering from HIV/AIDS.
A large number of the gay community lost their lives during the AIDS epidemic and this is largely because of the lack of urgency from the US government. If it affected the wealthy like it affected the queer community, it would've been a different story and that's why we talk about it.
Without ACT UP and other voices of the community that came together, who knows what would have happened. Other organizations such as Women's Health Action and Mobilization (WHAM) and the American civil Liberties Union (ACLU) joined ACT UP.
One more?
Okay, okay.
Don't Ask, Don't Tell, have you ever heard of it?
Don't Ask, Don't Tell was a policy that prevented members of the armed services from serving as openly gay or lesbian (or anything of the such) up until 2011.
So basically, you could serve your country and put your life on the line on a daily basis but God forbid John kisses Stephen.
As someone who served in the military, I served in the United States Marine Corps, this hits a little different.
This policy was repealed by Obama only 2 years prior to my enlistment in 2013.
At the time, I identified as a lesbian and I wonder how this would have impacted my time in service if it wasn't repealed. I didn't have the worst time, but I also didn't have the best time. Luckily, I was in a relatively accepting environment that embraced me, but I can't say the same for other service members that I served with.
We're all a little gay in the Corps, so it wouldn't be realistic to punish us all.
Oh, and.
Thanks, Obama.
On That Note
I've shared a decent amount of information with you guys that you didn't really ask for, but I encourage you to do some of your own research to learn more about the history of the LGBTQ+ community.
Oftentimes, LGBTQ+ history is organized by whether it happened before or after Stonewall.
That alone should tell you a lot about those riots.
You also don't have to be a part of the community to learn these things, it's quite simply a part of history that can't be erased.
The reason we have LGBTQ+ History Month is because there's a lot more to it than just identifying with one of the letters and learning dates and names.
It has given people a sense of community and identity through unapologetic visibility.
Us younger queers really owe it to the queer elders who got us here, even if they're a little annoying sometimes. I say that with all the love.
LGBTQ+ people still experience discrimination, violence, and political/social attacks every single day.
I mean, have you seen the news lately?
There are still parts of the world where it's illegal to be homosexual or transgender in 2024 and a lot of people don't realize this.
In some places like Iran and Nigeria, it's punishable by death which is baffling to say the least.
And if someone is queer and a person of color, the discrimination and hate rises significantly.
LGBTQ+ History Month is important because it raises awareness to these issues and gives us a reason to celebrate the community's achievements.
And resilience.
The fight for liberation is an ongoing fight and looking back on what the community has accomplished in terms of legal and social triumphs serves as a reminder that we are much stronger together than we are apart.
We stick together like the TransTape adhesive sticks to skin, exceptionally good. Except our community sticks together for life, and not just a week.
This is where I plug in TransTape so we can end on a happy note.
TransTape acknowledges the LGBTQ+ community and gives back in many ways.
OVER $75,000 HAS BEEN GIVEN BACK SINCE 2022!
Over the years they have sent numerous care packages and products to colleges, youth groups, LGBTQ+ organizers and many other amazing people and groups who help provide free gender affirming products to others.
If you're a student and think your school would be onboard with a free educational workshop, reach out through the HelpDesk!
TransTape also raises funds for gender affirming surgeries, sponsors festivals, performances and conferences!
They also support queer artists by selling merchandise with their art on it!
There's just something extra special about a company that cares and gives back.
Well, friends.
I hope you've learned something today.
In the words of my favorite professor to date,
Liberation is in the direction of joy.
Until next time,
Stay awesome.
Stay beautiful.
Stay you.
You are loved and it gets better.
Talk to you soon,
Jamie
Welcome to the cool kids club!
My name is Jamie and I'm a young (ish) transman born and raised in the Hudson Valley of New York state. I started my transition in May of 2017 and since then, I've made it my mission to live unapologetically as myself and spread awareness through my pursuit of happiness. I am the creator and writer of Spilling T blog, a proud affiliate of TransTape and when I'm not outside with the best dog ever or hanging out with my two cats, I make and sell my own beard care products through Buckaroo's Beard Care. I'm always looking for my next adventure and have been skydiving, road-tripping, hiking in the mountains and even served for a short time in the United States Marine Corps. My life has had its fair share of twists and turns and I hope to use those experiences to create helpful and relatable content that may help someone else navigate a difficult time in life.
Beards, Socials, Tape and Writing
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