Copley Library: LGBTQ+

 LGBT History Month celebrates the achievements of 31 lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender Icons. Each day in October, a new LGBT Icon is featured with a video, bio, bibliography, downloadable images and other resources.

Background
In 1994, Rodney Wilson, a Missouri high school teacher, believed a month should be dedicated to the celebration and teaching of gay and lesbian history, and gathered other teachers and community leaders. They selected October because public schools are in session and existing traditions, such as Coming Out Day (October 11), occur that month.

Gay and Lesbian History Month was endorsed by GLAAD, the Human Rights Campaign, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, the National Education Association and other national organizations. In 2006 Equality Forum assumed responsibility for providing content, promotion and resources for LGBT History Month.

The LGBTQ+ community is the only community worldwide that is not taught its history at home, in public schools, or in religious institutions. LGBT History Month provides role models, builds community, and makes the civil rights statement about the extraordinary national and international contributions made by members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Lesbian: Women attracted to other women.

Gay: Same-sex attraction. Sometimes used as an umbrella term.

Bisexual: Attracted to same and different genders.

Transgender: Identifying as a gender different than the gender assigned at birth.

Questioning: The process of questioning one's sexual orientation or gender identity.

Queer: A once derogatory term which as been reclaimed by the LGBT community. Sometimes used as an umbrella term ("the Queer Community") or as an identifier ("I'm queer").

Asexual: Lack of sexual attraction.

Pansexual: Attraction regardless of sex or gender identity (often overlaps with bisexual).

Intersex: A variety of conditions in which a person is born with an anatomy or chromosomes that don't fit the typical definitions of female or male. (Note: Not all intersex people consider themselves part of the LGBT umbrella.)

Non-Binary: Gender identities that do not to a strict masculine/feminine binary. (Related: genderqueer, agender, genderfluid.)

Note: With the exception of lesbian, all the above terms are only used as adjectives. So saying "a transgender person" or "a queer woman" is acceptable, while "a transgender" or "a queer" is not.