Monday, September 27, 2010

U.S. Department of Education to recognize October as LGBT History Month

The U.S. Department of Education will recognize October as LGBT History Month, with U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan providing welcoming remarks at the Department’s first LGBT History Month event.

Equality Forum announced that starting in 2011, GLBT History Month will be renamed LGBT History Month. Information for GLBT History Month 2010 can currently be accessed at www.glbtHistoryMonth.com or www.lgbtHistoryMonth.com.

“For a community deprived of its history, GLBT History Month teaches heritage, provides role models, builds community, and recognizes extraordinary national and international contributions,” said Ora Alger, LGBTA Employees at ED President, U.S. Department of Education. “We salute Equality Forum for spearheading this free educational resource.”

“GLBT History Month is an educational project,” stated Malcolm Lazin, Executive Director, Equality Forum. “We are delighted to have the U.S. Department of Education recognize and celebrate our community’s history month. We salute GLSEN, GSA Network and Campus Pride for promoting with Equality Forum GLBT History Month to over 6,000 high schools and colleges.”

Each day in October, an Icon is featured with a video, biography, bibliography, downloadable images and other educational resources. The videos are offered without charge to educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, for profit companies and the public.

2010 marks the 5th anniversary of GLBT History Month, featuring 155 Icons from 2006 to 2010. Equality Forum launched GLBT History Month with 20 organizations having a GLBT History Month link on their Web sites. In 2009, over 650 nonprofit organizations, educational institutions and for profit corporations had a GLBT History Month Link, making GLBT History Month the largest collaborative project worldwide for our community.