October is LGBTQ+ History Month, an annual month-long observance of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender history and the history of the gay and related civil rights movements.

One highlight of the month is the LGBTQ+ Culture Center partnering with La Casa/Latino Cultural Center to present a keynote address by Gabby Rivera at 7 p.m. on October 13 in the IMU Whittenberger Auditorium. Rivera, the author of Juliet Takes a Breath and writer of the Marvel series America (superhero America Chavez, the first queer, Latinx teen-girl superhero), often addresses issues of identity and representation for people of color and the queer community within American popular culture.

“It’s wonderful,” Bruce Smail, interim director of the LGBTQ+ Culture Center, said. “It’s an exciting time to co-sponsor this keynote with La Casa and several other partners.”

Additionally, Smail will present a keynote address on October 20 titled “Why HIV Matters on a College Campus.” The keynote will focus on how colleges and universities can provide better education, prevention, and care regarding HIV.

“I’ve worked in both higher ed and HIV education, and colleges are often a missing link,” Smail said. “Colleges aren’t the best at providing education and prevention on HIV, and I hope that this keynote helps address those gaps.” This keynote is a precursor to the Indiana University National HIV Conference in Indianapolis from June 8 – 11, 2022.

The other keynote Smail highlights is “The Privilege of Being Queer,” presented by the LGBTQ+ Culture Center’s founding and first director, Doug Bauder. On October 29, Bauder will share highlights from his new book, The Privilege of Being Queer. “It’s an excellent opportunity to hear Doug talk about his experiences,” Smail said. “And I think it really cool that we have these two keynotes, one hosted by the first director of the center and one hosted by its current.” For a complete list of LGBTQ+ events, please visit the IU events calendar.