Queer History: October
By Been far, far too long since we had an update. Mea culpa, everyone.
But how could we ever let actual LGBT History Month in the US pass without getting back on track?
This of course means there’s a much greater variety of sources to get in touch with our roots and remember those who came before. This is just one fantastic place curating our stories*, which gives you tools to help spread the knowledge. You could lose a day or two just there, exploring, and finding new cause for pride!
Among some of the queer happenings and history in October, we go back over a hundred years to the amazing bad ass Anna Ruhling. That’s right, in 19 aught freakin’ 4, before two world wars and before American women had the right to vote, here she was, openly criticizing the women’s movement of her era for not openly advocating for homosexual rights. Give props.
Of course October, and indeed any month of the year, has given LGBT folk plenty of cause to mourn as well. October 7th, 1998, where were you when Matthew Shepard was murdered? No one knew until after 12th, since it took him that long to die. Link goes to the foundation named for him, which does the best we all try to do, making the world safer for us in any way it can. I remember being a college freshman, while our campus debated student clubs’ right to discriminate against potential gay leaders of those same groups.
This almost 20 years after the first march in Washington DC for Lesbian and Gay rights, in 1979. Averaging attendance estimates puts them in the neighborhood of 100,000 people.
And may we never stop marching forward, one and all
*This site is also where the featured image for this piece comes from, and is part of their promotional materials
