LGBT History Month was first celebrated in 1994. LGBT History Month was first proposed by Rodney Wilson, the first out Missouri Public School teacher. Wilson's rationale behind selecting October as LGBT History Month was to honor National Coming Out Day (October 11) which was first celebrated in 1988 as well as the 1979 March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights.
Unique to our Champaign-Urbana community is that the first national planning meeting for the 1979 March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights took place within our community! The 1979 coordinating meeting was organized by Jeff Graubart.
Currently, LGBT History Month is celebrated annually and has been adopted by many nations around the globe. We dedicated our 2022 LGBT History month to all of our LGBTQIA+, non-binary, and gender non-conforming Illini community!
2025 Calendar
GSRC's Quench & WRC's Dish it Up: Hearing and Helping: Supporting Queer Survivors
Monday, September 29, 12 - 1 pm
Hosted by: Gender and Sexuality Resource Center and Women's Resources Center
Location: Women's Resources Center, 616 E. Green St. Suite 213
LGBTQ+ Ally Training 101: Introduction to the LGBTQ+ Community
Wednesday, October 1, 10 - 12 pm
Hosted by: Gender and Sexuality Resource Center
Location: OVCDEI-HUB 3070
All participants must register here.
LGBTQ+ Ally Training 102: Becoming an Ally
Thursday, October 2, 10 - 12 pm
Hosted by: Gender and Sexuality Resource Center
Location: OVCDEI-HUB 3070
All participants must register here.
Lunch at la Casa
Thursday, October 2, 12 - 1 pm
Hosted by: La Casa Cultural Latina
Location: La Casa Cultural Latina, 1203 W. Nevada Street, Urbana, IL 61801
Join Lunch at La Casa for a powerful presentation led by Damian Vergara Bracamontes (he/him/his) for an interactive discussion & brief talk about history of queer immigrant social movements and what that looks like in the present.
Queer Bowling with NetworQ (LGBTQ+ Graduate Students Org.)
Thursday, October 2, 5 - 7 pm
Hosted by: Gender and Sexuality Resource Center
Location: Illini Union, Rec Room (Basement of the Union)
Documentary and Discussion
Friday, October 3, 7:30 pm
Hosted by: Women of Pride
Location: Women's Resources Center, 616 E. Green Street, Suite 213
Women of Pride will be screening the documentary "Aids in KC." Following the screening, we will be having a discussion about the documentary, focusing on what viewers learned about the HIV/AIDs crisis response in the Midwest.
Queer Book Club Discussion: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Sunday, October 5, 2 - 4 pm
Hosted by: Queer Book Club
Location: English Building Room 259
Meeting to discuss The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. In this entrancing novel "that speaks to the Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor in us all" (Kirkus Reviews), a legendary film actress reflects on her relentless rise to the top and the risks she took, the loves she lost, and the long-held secrets the public could never imagine.
Quench: Neurodiversity & Queerness
Monday, October 6, 12 - 1 pm
Hosted by: Gender and Sexuality Resource Center
Location: GSRC, 616 E. Green Street Suite 202
Read & Resist: Pop-Up Library & Live Printmaking
Wednesday, October 8, 12 - 2 pm
Hosted by: Asian American Cultural Center, Bruce D. Nesbitt African American Cultural Center, Gender and Sexuality Resource Center, International Education, La Casa Cultural Latina, Native American House, Salaam MENA Center, Skeuomorph Press, University Library and Women's Resources Center
Location: Native American House - Outside
How LGBTQ+ Scientists Change the World
Thursday, October 9, 7 pm
Location: Gender and Sexuality Resource Center, 616 E. Green Street Suite 202
Hosted by: oSTEM
In honor of LGBTQ+ history month, oSTEM will be hosting a presentation about LGBTQ+ scientists and the way they’ve made their mark on different realms of the scientific community. Light refreshments provided.
National Coming Out Day Recognition
Friday, October 10, 11 - 1 pm, Tabling on the Quad (Anniversary Plaza, outside of the Union) with the Coming Out Door
& Friday, October 10, 4 - 6 pm, GSRC, 616 E. Green Street Suite 202, Coming Out Day Open Mic
Hosted by: Gender and Sexuality Resource Center, 616 E. Green Street Suite 202
LGTBQ+ Histories at Spurlock Museum
Friday, October 10, 4 - 6 pm
Location: Spurlock Museum of World Cultures
Hosted by: Spurlock Museum of World Cultures
Come by Spurlock for guided explorations of some of our exhibits and collections that document LGBTQ+ histories and cultures. Drop in any time between 4:00 and 6:00.
National Coming Out Day Discussion
Friday, October 10, 7:30 pm
Hosted by: Women of Pride
Location: Women's Resources Center, 616 E. Green Street, Suite 213
National Coming Out Day is October 11th. For Women of Pride's October 10th meeting, we will be hosting a discussion about coming out.
Indigenous Peoples' Day: Honoring Our Relatives: Building Awareness of Indigiqueer and Two-Spirit Experiences
Monday, October 13, 10:30 am - 8 pm
Location: Various depending on event and time, see webpage below
Hosted by: Native American House, Gender and Sexuality Resource Center, American Indian Studies, and the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
For additional Information visit the Indigenous Peoples' Day Webpage.
The Power of Us: Queer BIPOC Peer and Support
Thursday, October 16, 5 - 6 pm
Hosted by: Gender and Sexuality Resource Center
Location: GSRC, 616 E. Green Street Suite 202
Friday Forum: "LGBTQ+ Stories of Change: A Journey through History"
Friday, October 17, 12 - 1 pm
Hosted by: Diversity & Social Justice Education
Location: University YMCA, 1001 S. Wright Street
Brave Space Alliance (BSA) is a Black trans-led LGBTQ+ Center on the South Side of Chicago that creates and provides affirming and culturally competent services for the entire LGBTQ+ community of Chicago.
Pride Parade Poster Making
Monday, October 20 - 24, 9 am - 5 pm
Hosted by: Gender and Sexuality Resource Center
Location: GSRC, 616 E. Green St. Suite 202
Quench: Racial Justice 101
Monday, October 20, 12 - 1 pm
Hosted by: Gender and Sexuality Resource Center
Location: La Casa Cultural Latina, 1203 W. Nevada St.
Inclusivity at Work: Discovering and Building Inclusive Workplaces
Monday, October 20, 5 - 6 pm
Hosted by: Career Center
Location: GSRC, 616 E. Green St. Suite 202
Being Dismissed: Discussion and a Meal with CUTES and ASpace
Friday, October 24, 5 - 8 pm
Hosted by: ASpace & CUTES
Location: GSRC, 616 E. Green St. Suite 202
From 5-6PM, CUTES and ASpace will host a discussion about the infantilization and dismissal of identities that happens to trans and a-spec people. Around 6PM, we will wrap up our discussion and switch to a potluck and game night. Bring food if you can, but it's not required! This event is open to anyone, not just members of the trans and a-spec communities.
Champaign-Urbana Pride Parade & Fair
Saturday, October 25, Parade: Steps off at 1 pm, Fair: 1 - 5 pm
Hosted by: Uniting Pride Center
Location: Downtown Urbana
Soup and Stories with College of Aces
Tuesday, October 28, 12 - 1 pm
Hosted by: College of Aces and Gender and Sexuality Resource Center
Location: Bevier 249
Hungry for food and inspiration? 🍴✨ Join the ACES Office of DEI and the GSRC for a free meal and an unforgettable storytelling session with guest speaker Ms. Dimitria Johnson. Come connect, learn, and be inspired as we dive into advocacy, allyship, and support. Don’t miss this chance to feed your body and your voice for change!
Queer-O-Ween 2025
Thursday, October 30, 7 - 9 pm
Hosted by: Gender and Sexuality Resource Center
Location: GSRC, 616 E. Green Street, Suite 202
WRC Book Club: Hungerstone by Kat Dunn
Friday, October 31, 4 pm
Hosted by: Women's Resources Center
Location: Women's Resources Center, 616 E. Green Street, Suite 213
"Hungerstone" is a gothic, feminist-horror novel by Kat Dunn that retells the classic vampire story of Carmilla through the lens of industrial-era female desire and oppression. Join the WRC for our discussion of this text on Halloween! This program is open to all eligible persons regardless of race, color or national origin.