Who are the 31 Icons of GLBT History Month 2010?

October is GLBT History Month and every year Equality Forum presents a month's worth of GLBT Icons for your appreciation and edification.

“Equality Forum offers a free GLBT History Month link to organizations, educational institutions, workplace groups, and the public,” stated Malcolm Lazin, Executive Director, Equality Forum. “ The 800% increase in Web traffic in 2009 with over 6 million hits proves the power of GLBT History Month to educate and inspire.”

“This month is an opportunity for schools to acknowledge and celebrate the positive contributions of LGBT people whose identities are absent from history books. Gay-Straight Alliances across the country look forward to this month every year as a way to introduce positive LGBT role models to their members and classmates,” said Eliza Byard, Executive Director, GLSEN.

This year's list of 31 Gay Icons is presented below:

EQUALITY FORUM INVITES MICHELLE OBAMA TO LAUNCH GLBT HISTORY MONTH 2010

Equality Forum, a national and international GLBT civil rights organization, has invited First Lady Michelle Obama to launch GLBT History Month 2010 in October. Mrs. Obama and the White House have held celebrations for Women’s History Month, Black History Month and Hispanic Heritage Month.

“GLBT History Month teaches history, provides role models, builds community and celebrates the GLBT community’s national and international contributions,” stated Malcolm Lazin, Executive Director, Equality Forum. “The White House celebration of GLBT History Month is an important demonstration of the Administration’s support of our equality.”

Each day in October, an Icon is featured without charge online at www.glbtHistoryMonth.com with a video, biography, bibliography with linkage, downloadable images and other educational resources. Started in 2006, the 124 Icons from inception to 2009 are archived with resources on the web site.

2010 is the 5th Anniversary of GLBT History Month. In 2006, 20 organizations had a GLBT History Month link on their web sites. In 2009, approximately 650 organizations had a GLBT History Month link, making GLBT History Month our community’s most collaborative project. There was an over 800% increase in web traffic for GLBT History Month 2009 by comparison to 2008.

“A history month is an important civil rights milestone, by enhancing visibility, providing educational resources, demonstrating merited pride and laying the groundwork for academic programs,” stated Lazin.

The 31 Icons for GLBT History Month 2010 are:

Eric Alva – Hero/Activist

George Washington Carver – Scientist

George Eastman – Entrepreneur

Sharon Farmer – White House Photographer

Leslie Feinberg – Author/Activist

Tom Ford – Fashion Designer/Filmmaker

E. Lynn Harris – Author

*David Huebner – Ambassador to New Zealand

*Kevin Jennings – Educator/Activist

Mara Keisling – Transgender Activist

Kiyoshi Kuromiya – Author/AIDS Activist

*Sharon Lubinski – U.S. Marshal

Jane Lynch – Actress

Patsy Lynch – Photographer

Matthew Mitcham – Olympic Diver

Jamie Nabozny – Youth Activist

Cynthia Nixon – Actress

Catherine Opie – Photographer

Sunil Babu Pant – Nepalese Politician

Annise Parker – Mayor of Houston

John A. Pérez – Speaker of California Assembly

Eleanor Roosevelt – First Lady

Jalal al-Din Rumi – Sufi Mystic/Poet

David Sedaris – Writer/Humorist

Maurice Sendak – Author/Illustrator

Matthew Shepard – Hero
Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir– Prime Minister of Iceland

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky – Composer

Rufus Wainwright – Singer/Songwriter

Mel White – Minister/Activist

Emanuel Xavier – Poet

*Obama Presidential Appointees

GLBT History Month was a huge success

October is GLBT History Month and this year the website www.GLBTHistoryMonth.com received:

4,200,000 Web Hits
1,100,000 Page Views
200,000+ Unique Visitors

In 2008, there were 600,000 Web hits.

Over 650 nonprofit organizations, educational institutions and for-profit corporations had a link to GLBT History Month 2009 on their websites, making GLBT History Month the largest collaborative GLBT project to date.

In 2006, when Equality Forum launched GLBT History Month, 20 organizations had a link.

"GLBT History Month opens our minds, especially those of our youth, to the possibilities of what we may become," said Dr. Luke Jensen, Director of LGBT Equity at University of Maryland, a collaborating partner.

Congratulations to Equality Forum for a wonderful and eye-opening project!

Nominate your icons now for GLBT History Month 2010

Equality Forum is accepting nominations for GLBT History Month 2010 Icons. Nominations should be submitted to nominations@equalityforum.com by Friday, December 18, 2009.

The criteria are a gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender person, living or deceased, who has distinguished him or herself in their field of endeavor, is a national hero, or has made a significant contribution to GLBT civil rights. To view the list of 124 Icons from 2006-2009, visit the archives at www.glbtHistoryMonth.com.

GLBT History Month Co-Chairs, Professor Sharon Ullman, History Department, Bryn Mawr College, and Professor Kenji Yoshino, New York University School of Law, review all nominations and recommend 31 Icons to the Equality Forum Board of Directors. The 31 Icons for GLBT History Month 2010 will be announced at the International Equality Dinner at the National Constitution Center on Saturday, May 1st at Equality Forum 2010.

"Around the globe, GLBT History Month has been embraced in high schools, colleges, social networking sites, workplaces, and by community organizations. For everyone from middle schoolers to senior citizens, GLBT History Month highlights roles models, teaches our history, provides narratives and inspires our movement," stated Malcolm Lazin, Executive Director, Equality Forum. "We encourage you to shape GLBT History Month by nominating an Icon for 2010."

Colorado's own GLBT community offers a number of choices for nominations including (but certainly not limited to):


Tim Gill - Philanthropist, gay rights activist, and founder of the Gill Foundation
Jared Polis - Colorado Representative who was the first openly gay men elected to Congress
Dr. Marci Bowers - Gender reassignment surgeon in Trinidad, CO - the "Sex Change Capital of the World"

GLBT History Month: 31 Days, 31 Gays

“Gay people do not fight for freedom to live in a lavender bubble, but in a more just society.” - Urvashi Vaid

Urvashi Vaid is an attorney, author, activist and the executive director of the Arcus Foundation.

GLBT History Month: 31 Days, 31 Gays

"It's never satisfying enough to hear how much progress there has been if we don't have full equality." - Hilary Rosen

Hilary Rosen is a Political Contributor for CNN, and Washington Editor at Large for The Huffington Post. Entertainment Weekly named her one of the 101 Most Influential People in Entertainment.

GLBT History Month: 31 Days, 31 Gays

"The fact that I was elected…the first openly gay woman, and then everybody went right back to business, really shows that in New York, we embrace diversity.” - Christine Quinn

Christine Quinn is the first woman and the first openly gay candidate elected speaker of the New York City Council. She is the city’s second most powerful elected official.

GLBT History Month: 31 Days, 31 Gays

"The one thing we can really count on is change.” - Todd Oldham

Best known for his clothing and interior designs, Todd Oldham is the quintessential designer. He is regarded for transforming his youthful aesthetic into affordable style.

GLBT History Month: 31 Days, 31 Gays

“The freedom to be sexually expressive, the freedom to be different, is a freedom for all of us.” - Joan Nestle

Joan Nestle is an award-winning author of lesbian literature, both fiction and nonfiction. She is the cofounder of the Lesbian Herstory Archives.

GLBT History Month: 31 Days, 31 Gays

"I'm proud that I was one of the first ones out, singing loud and proud.” - k.d. lang

k.d. lang is a singer/songwriter known for her stunning voice, androgynous look and brilliant performances. She has been a recording artist for over 25 years, winning four Grammy Awards and countless accolades from critics and audiences worldwide.

GLBT History Month: 31 Days, 31 Gays

“The only way to win full equality is to engage in the hard work of making our lives real to everyone we know.” - Kate Kendell

Kate Kendell is a civil rights attorney and executive director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR).

GLBT History Month: 31 Days, 31 Gays

“I was never in the closet. From the moment…I stepped onto the theatrical stage, I was always out. It was never an issue.” - Cherry Jones

Cherry Jones is a theater, film and television actress best known for her role as president of the United States on the FOX series “24.” A Broadway veteran, Jones is considered one of America’s foremost stage actresses. She has received two Tony Awards.

GLBT History Month 2009: 31 Days, 31 Gays

GLBT History Month 2009 is breaking records

GLBT History Month 2009 is generating a record response.

The GLBT History Month 2009 website has received over 1.7 million hits and more than 375 ,000 page views.

Over 600 organizations, educational institutions, corporations and websites (including this one) have a link to GLBT History Month 2009 on their Web sites, making GLBT History Month the largest collaborative project worldwide for our community.

“Since its launch in 2006 with 20 organizations having a GLBT History Month link, the GLBT History Month success confirms that our community and especially our youth want to learn about our role models, history and narratives,” stated Malcolm Lazin, Executive Director, Equality Forum.

“GLBT History Month is so vitally important to LGBT and heterosexual people alike. I highlight the videos and support materials in ways they intersect with the curriculum in various topics (media, arts, business, sports, etc.) with our faculty and students,” says Lis Maurer, Program Director, The Center for LGBT Education, Outreach & Services at Ithaca College.

Dr. Luke Jensen, Director, Office of LGBT Equity at University of Maryland, says, “Efforts like this are so important because of the difficulty we have had historically to understand our communities and therefore ourselves. Very few of us have parents who taught us even some small portion of what it means to be an LGBT person. This project opens our minds, especially those of our youth, to the possibilities of what we may become.”

GLBT History Month: 31 Days, 31 Gays

Ruth Ellis, who lived to be 101, was credited with being the oldest known lesbian and GLBT civil rights activist.

GLBT History Month: 31 Days, 31 Gays

Day number two of GLBT History Month and the focus today is on basketball player John Amaechi.

GLBT History Month: 31 Days, 31 Gay Icons

GLBT History Month begins today and Equality Forum is celebrating by presenting one gay icon for every day of the month. Kicking things off is famous dancer and choreographer Alvin Ailey Jr.

Kick off GLBT History Month with Pam Bennet and Andrew Romanoff

GLBT History Month kicks off with an event today from 5:30-7:30 p.m. hosted by Jeff Thormodsgaard and Brad Uecker with special guests transgender politician Pam Bennet and Colorado's Speaker of the House Andrew Romanoff.

Even if you're unable to attend you can help Pam become the progressive voice on Aurora City council and the first out transgender to be elected in Colorado by donating online here or just checking it out for more information.

GLBT History Month 2009

October is GLBT History Month and the official website www.GLBTHistoryMonth.com is online and rockin' and rollin' with over 100,000 unique visitors in the past two weeks alone.

In 2008, over 500 nonprofit organizations, educational institutions and for-profit corporations had a GLBT History Month link (MileHighGayGuy included!), making GLBT History Month the largest collaborative project worldwide for the GLBT community.

Malcolm Lazin, Executive Director of Equality Forum, says that GLBT History Month sends a "powerful civil rights message about our community’s extraordinary national and international contributions. We are the only minority community deprived of its history in schools, at home, and in religious institutions. GLBT History Month teaches our heritage, provides role models and builds community.”

The site will also feature a profile on a different gay icon for every day of the month. See the full list of honorees after the jump.


GLBT History Month 2009 Icons
Alvin Ailey, Jr. - Choreographer

John Amaechi - Professional Basketball Player

Tammy Baldwin - Congresswoman

John Cage - Composer

Ruth Ellis - Activist

Rainer Fassbinder - Film Director

Michel Foucault - Philosopher

Harry Hay - Activist

Magnus Hirschfeld - Social Scientist

Zora Neale Hurston - Author

Jasper Johns - Painter

Cherry Jones - Actress

Kate Kendell - Attorney

Alfred Kinsey - Sexual Researcher

k.d. lang - Singer

Rachel Maddow - Commentator

Deirdre McCloskey - Economist

Paul Monette - Author

Pauli Murray - Attorney

Joan Nestle - Historian

Todd Oldham - Designer

Suze Orman - Financial Expert

Christine Quinn - New York City Council Speaker

Robert Rauschenberg - Painter

Jerome Robbins - Choreographer

Hilary Rosen - Commentator

Yves St. Laurent - Fashion Designer

Esera Tuaolo - Professional Football Player

Urvashi Vaid - Activist

Gus Van Sant - Film Director

B.D. Wong - Actor