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Cal State San Bernardino is celebrating LGBTQ+ History Month, Oct. 1-31, and will feature a number of virtual and in-person events at both the San Bernardino and Palm Desert campuses.

The university will highlight student leaders, faculty and staff in various activities and special events throughout the month, which is themed “Connecting at the Intersections.”

The events will honor and educate the campus community about issues of social justice and the LGBTQ+ community as well as to raise awareness of these issues among the general public. The goal of LGBTQ+ History Month is to enhance public awareness of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBTQ+) individuals, their history, lives, and experiences, as well as their contributions to society.

The first LGBTQ+ History Month was organized in October 1994 by Rodney Wilson and Kevin Jennings who are members of the Gay and Lesbian Education Network, known as GLSEN. They selected October because public schools are in session and existing traditions, such as Coming Out Day (Oct. 11), occur that month. In 2006 Equality Forum assumed responsibility for providing content, promotion and resources for LGBT History Month.

The CSUSB programs planned for the month will celebrate LGBTQ+ communities of the past and the present through programming, visibility campaigns and educational events.

To begin the series, the campus’ LGBTQ+ committee will host a kickoff on Oct. 4 at 11 a.m. in the SMSU. All events are free and open to the public.

LGBTQ+ History Month Kickoff
When: Oct. 4
Time: 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Where: SMSU South - Event Center B

LGBTQ+ History Month Kickoff featuring keynote speaker Romeo Jackson, whose presentation will center on LGBTQ+ history through an intersectional framework and discussion on how we can be stewards of the legacies of community that came before us.

LGBTQ+ History Month Presents: Physical and Mental Resources for Wellness
When: Oct. 5
Time: Noon - 1 p.m.
Where: Virtually via Zoom

Touch base with representatives from across campus to identify which resources could be helpful in your physical and mental wellness. The representation will include the Student Health Center, the QTRC, Psychological Services and Graduate Studies.

LGBTQ+ History Month Book Discussion: Rainbow Jukebox
When: Oct. 7
Time: Noon - 1 p.m.
Where: Virtually via Zoom

Join the Office of Graduate Studies as we lead a discussion on the “Rainbow Jukebox,” a book meant to empower all to hear the collective album of a community of people who are still fighting for freedom and acceptance. The first 10 students to register for the book discussion will receive a complimentary copy of the “Rainbow Jukebox,” available for pick up in the Office of Graduate Studies!

Be a Cookie, Not a Cookie Cutter
When: Oct. 19
Time: Noon - 1:30 p.m.
Where: SMSU South - Queer and Transgender Resource Center (SMSUS - 112)

Join an open conversation on the difference between body positivity and neutrality, while learning to better combat microaggressions.

Screaming Queens: The Riot at Compton’s Cafeteria
When: Oct. 20
Time: 5 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Where: SMSU South - SMSU Theater (SMSUS - 107)

Watch the documentary about transgender women and drag queens who fought police harassment at Compton’s Cafeteria in San Francisco's Tenderloin in 1966, three years before the famous riot at Stonewall Inn bar in NYC.

Embrace the Ace
When: Oct. 26
Time: Noon - 2 p.m.
Where: Virtually via Zoom

Understanding the “A” in “LGBTQIA,” how to be a better ally to asexual folks and dispelling myths around asexuality.

Spooky Tales: A Talk with Kendra Onixxx & DVVSK
When: Oct. 28
Time: Noon - 2 p.m.
Where: Virtually via Zoom

An open conversation with Boulet Brother’s Dragula star, Kendra Onixxx, and local queen, DVVSK, as we discuss the intersectional identities of being Black and Queer while being in both the drag and goth communities.

Visit the LGBTQ History Month’s Calendar of Programs webpage to register for any of the events listed above.

For more information about the events, please contact Lee Stovall, Queer and Transgender Resource Center coordinator, at lee.stovall@csusb.edu.