The month of October is very meaningful for the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer) community.  LGBTQ History Month is an annual month-long observance of the history of LGBTQ rights and corresponding Civil Rights movements. 

   It was founded by the first openly gay public school teacher in Missouri, Rodney Wilson, in 1994. Wilson had the belief that there should be a month dedicated to teaching and celebrating gay and lesbian history.  

   A couple of years back, Illinois even passed a law to include the teaching of LGBTQ history in schools. Illinois has the “Inclusive Curriculum Law,” and this means schools teach about the contributions of gay, lesbian and transgender pioneers who have paved the way for all to know what has and can be achieved by those in the LGBTQ community.  

   The month of October was selected as the LGBTQ History Month partially in part because National Coming Out day occurs on Oct. 11. The primary goal of LGBTQ history month, then, is to teach young people about the history of the gay rights movement and to promote an inclusive modern society.  

   In our MHS Coexist Club, we do exactly that. We aim to make ourselves known, seen and felt as accepted.  We also make sure that everyone knows they have a safe space here at MHS as all are welcome. 

   The club meets most Wednesdays at 7:15 a.m. in room C212, and our remind code is 81010 @coexist21. 

   This year we will be participating in the school’s annual cultural fair to further educate people on our history of how we’ve gotten to where we are. We are also looking into giving back to our community by raising money and donating to LGBTQ centers near us and/or volunteering with them. 

   We encourage you to seek out ways to get involved and educate yourselves as well.  You are welcome to come to a Coexist meeting, or scan the QR codes for additional information about the LGBTQ history or a list of 10 great non-fiction books about LGBTQ history and culture.