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!
2024 Calendar
Queer Movie Night
Thursday, October 10, 5 - 7 PM
Hosted by: Queer Wellness at Illinois
Location: GSRC, 616 E. Green St. Suite 202 (upstairs from McDonalds)
National Coming Out Day Tabling
Friday, October 11, 11 - 2 PM
Hosted by: Gender and Sexuality Resource Center
Location: Main Quad
Keychain Making
Friday, October 11, 7:30 - 9 PM
Hosted by: Women of Pride
Location: Women's Resources Center, 616 E. Green St. Suite 213 (upstairs from McDonalds)
Weaving Wellness: Latinx HIV AIDs Awareness and Red Ribbon Braiding
Wednesday, October 16, 5 - 6:30 PM
Hosted by: Gender and Sexuality Resource Center, Co-sponsored by: La Casa
Location: GSRC, 616 E. Green St. Suite 202 (upstairs from McDonalds)
Tunnel of Oppression
Wednesday and Thursday, October 16 and 17, 6 - 9 PM
Hosted by: Inclusion and Leadership Education: Residential Life
Location: SDRP 2025ABC
Pronouns & Pints!
Join us for Ice Cream & pronoun Talk in Honor of International Pronoun Day!
Friday, October 18, 12 - 2 PM
Hosted by: Gender and Sexuality Resource Center
Location: GSRC, 616 E. Green St. Suite 202 (upstairs from McDonalds)
One Last Stop Book Meeting
Sunday, October 20, 2 - 4 PM
Hosted by: Queer Book Club
Location: English Building 259
Quench: Pops & Pizza: Beyond the Rainbow-Hidden Code & LGBTQ+ Culture
Monday, October 21, 12 - 1 PM
Hosted by: Gender and Sexuality Resource Center
Location: GSRC, 616 E. Green St. Suite 202 (upstairs from McDonalds)
LGBTQIA+ History Jeopardy
Tuesday, October 22, 5 - 6:30 PM
Hosted by: Queer Wellness at Illinois
Location: GSRC, 616 E. Green St. Suite 202 (upstairs from McDonalds)
Coming Out of the Shadows
Opening of 1st Gender-Affirming Closet on University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Campus
Monday, October 28, 12 - 3 PM
Hosted by: Gender and Sexuality Resource Center
Location: GSRC, 616 E. Green St. Suite 202 (upstairs from McDonalds)
Annual Queeroween Celebration w/GSRC - Scream Queens
Thursday, October 31, 7 - 9 PM
Hosted by: Gender and Sexuality Resource Center
Location: GSRC, 616 E. Green St. Suite 202 (upstairs from McDonalds)