GLBT History Month

October is GLBT History month. I had no idea there was such a month. I see corporations embrace other history months, offering supplies, materials and support throughout the year. I think it is a great idea. Gay & Lesbian Pride month is hard to miss with its colorful parades (in June when school is out), but no one is rolling out the colorful curriculum packets for GLBT history month? Why not? Are we that afraid of being labeled 'indoctrinators of the gay agenda?' I don't have a 'gay agenda', I have a 'no more bullied or dead kids no matter their sexual orientation' agenda.

So to do what I do best, cause trouble ;), I did what any lazy-American-parked-in-front-of-the-tv-with-a-laptop-and-wifi- wanting-to-know-something would do. I Googled "GLBT history month" and read what was posted on Wikipedia. As I am fond of telling my students, it's not the info you find on Wikipedia that's important, it's the information that Wikipedia leads you to. There is an organization called the Gay & Lesbian Education Network, GLSEN which founded GLBT history month (No current chapter in my state, but I think I can change that). There is a page entitled "What You Can Do to Make A Positive Difference" which is a general guide for teachers. Good, basic info. And here also I found some of the glossy, curriculum guides. I will be perusing these for ideas, later.

So what am I to do about GLBT history month? I believe I will introduce a gay author each week in my class. Or perhaps I will place a list of gay & lesbian authors and historical figures on the wall and let the kids guess what they all have in common. I also need to find a list of young adult and adult books that depict GLBT kids in a positive light. And maybe when I get really brave we'll read The Importance of Being Ernest, by Oscar Wilde and discuss some of the gay themes in addition to the universal ones and Wilde's subsequent indecency trial, imprisonment and death.