National LGBTQ+ History Month takes place from October 1 through October 31 celebrating the history of gay rights, related civil rights movements, and the achievements of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBTQ+) individuals. First observed in 1994, October was selected to coincide with National Coming Out Day on October 11 and to commemorate the first and second marches on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights in October of 1979 and 1987.
Learn & Grow
It is important to celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month. Though celebrated once a year, the lessons learned during the month will be relevant throughout the year. Below are a few ways you can build community while celebrating LGBTQ+ History Month.
- Host an LGBTQ+ History Month Quiz – This fun activity teaches about important events in LGBTQ+ history.
- Visit the LGBTQ+ Culture Center– Take time to learn about your campus culture center, build new connections, and contribute to building a stronger IU community.
- Attend an LGBTQ+ Event
- Donate to Charity – From bake sales to sponsored activities, a fundraiser for such LGBTQ+ charities as Stonewall or a campus LGBTQ+ Culture Center.
IU's Committment
Indiana University has a proud history of supporting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) students, faculty, staff, and alums through programs and practices on all seven campuses and regional centers, across academic programs, and at the highest administrative levels. This commitment is one of the many reasons IU Bloomington has ranked as one of the nation's most LGBTQ-friendly campuses for many years. There are other reasons for this national distinction, including:
- The establishment of the Kinsey Institute in 1947.
- The establishment of Women's Studies (now Gender Studies) in 1973.
- In 1994, IU celebrated the opening of the LGBTQ+ Culture Center in Bloomington, now more commonly known as our "home away from home" for LGBTQ students.
- The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender Alumni Association (GLBTAA) was created in 1997.
- IU's groundbreaking launch of the GLBTAA Student Scholarship Campaign in 2013 to assist IU students who have lost financial support from their parents and to provide academic scholarships to students who combine classroom achievement with leadership on LGBTQ and diversity-related issues.
- In 2016, IU opened its LGBTQ+ Center at IU Indianapolis.
- In 2020, IU Kokomo opened the LGBTQ+ Center.
- Another historic milestone in IU's LGBTQ efforts is the official adoption of IU's Domestic Partnership Benefits Program by the Board of Trustees in 2002. At the time, only five schools in the Big Ten had adopted such a program.
In 2019, IU established the Queer Philanthropy Circle. - Since 2019, the Queer Philanthropy Circle (QPC) has committed $629,088 in grants for projects throughout the university.