MSU celebrates LGBTQ+ History Month
Genevieve Addams walks back and forth between the pews during her performance, collecting tips along the way, April 8.
October commemorates the history of the LGBTQ+ community. This month is observed to prevent the suppression of the history of the LGBTQ+ community and is centered around educating people about that history to highlight the progress of the community. The commemoration of LGBTQ+ History month started in Missouri in 1994 as a month to celebrate and teach Gay and lesbian history.
LGBTQ+ History month is all about providing context to the history of the LQBTQ+ community, where they started and where they are now.
“LGBTQ+ History Month is all about the historical context…here at MSU we make sure that we are providing context, historical context as well as information to people about a community of people who have been brave and resilient…despite all of the societal pressure and all of the societal needs they’ve still made sure to let people know that they exist in this world and that they are they’re people,” Jamilah Kangudja, MOSAIC cross cultural center programs coordinator, said.
This month serves not only as a time to educate oneself but as an opportunity to acknowledge the existence of the LGBTQ+ community.
“I guess what it means to me is just acknowledgment of LGBTQ history…that is so often not discussed because despite a lot of folks acting as if it’s like an entirely new concept, you know being queer, it’s like gay people have been around forever, trans people have been around forever, and people in between that on the LGBTQ spectrum have been around since the beginning of time,” Bella Muniz, English junior and community service chair of PRIDE, said.
The showcasing of the 31 LGBTQ+ icons creates representation for the younger members of the LGBTQ+ community
“I love seeing representation and as a kid I didn’t get much representation… so seeing representation that isn’t cruel, and knowing that I don’t have to see a character die after they are revealed as being gay or like it’s not someone that was a martyr for our history or whatever, seeing that combined with people that are like still alive, still have a better legacy than just being a martyr or something… it gives me hope that people are fighting both inside and outside and that there’s better hope for more normalized representation for everyone,” River Adams, criminal justice junior and vice president of PRIDE, said.
PRIDE month celebrates the LGBTQ+ community, while LGBTQ+ History Month celebrates the the barriers that have been crossed by the LGBTQ+ community and the ones they continue to face.
“Pride is a celebration like you go out and you have a good time and you’re around a community of people including allies…..with LGBTQ+ History Month we’re giving context how did we get here what are we still going through what barriers do we still need to overcome where do we need to make a change how can change be made you know how far have we come,”Kangudja said.
LGBTQ+ History month is being commemorated and recognized on campus and MSU through the Mosaic Cross Cultural Center is providing support to the LGBTQ+ community on campus through passive programming.
“We’re doing passive programming by holding our flags in the atrium area to make sure that people know what these flags mean and again just like it’s important for you to see yourself it’s important for people to be able to see those flags and know that you know there is someone, something, a place that is backing them…Desmond Tutu I think said basically when you don’t pick a side essentially you know you’re standing on the side of the oppressor and so I think having those flags out there it lets people know we’re not afraid to show the fact that there’s a community of people that exist and we need to let those people know we support you,” Kangudja said.
Students acknowledged MSU’S efforts to support the LGBTQ+ community on campus.
“I’ve been a student here for almost three years and definitely this time it’s been better like I haven’t ever seen the pride flags in the atrium like they are in this CSC atrium like they are right now…they’ve done posting on social media about what those flags mean… mosaic posted a pronoun guide, the postmaster e-mail that I saw about the month something happening right now is also a good effort. I think MSU is doing a better job this year than they have in the I appreciate that,” said Adams.
This Saturday P.R.I.D.E. will be hosting a drag show in honor of LGBTQ+ History Month in the legacy multipurpose room and in the coming months they anticipate that they will be hosting events for the Trans day of remembrance in November and World AIDS day in December.
