Celebrating LGBTQ+ History Month

By Madeline Marriott ’24

October celebrates figures from LGBTQ+ history by highlighting the achievements and contributions of members of the community. 

All month, the Office of Intercultural Development (OID) will partner with student organizations including OUT Lafayette and Lavender Lane, Lafayette’s LGBTQ+ living group, to host various events.

“LGBTQ+ History Month events create a greater understanding of the world and dynamics that have shaped the past and still shape the present,” Jess Heske ’25, co-president of Lavender Lane, says. “Everyone benefits from increased education, reflection, and connection.”

From left to right: Andy Santopatre ’26, Avani Sukhtankar ’26, Gabby Hochfeld, Benry Juno James ’25, and Cate Cheng ’25 in Lafayette’s Gender and Sexuality Resource Center. | Photo by Adam Atkinson

The month’s events will kick off Oct. 3 with an LGBTQ+-focused thrift store pop-up. From 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the lobby of Pardee Hall, students can shop for secondhand clothes that help them express who they are. 

Coming Out Stories, a panel that features five diverse members of the LGBTQ+ community and is moderated by Gabby Hochfeld, coordinator of gender and sexuality programs for OID, is planned for Oct. 9.

Student favorites will return to campus, including the College’s fourth Coming Out Day Celebration, held this year Oct. 10 in the Farinon Atrium. Additionally, the month’s celebrations will close with Drag Story Hour, a staple of Skillman Library, held Oct. 30. 

“I think it is important for us as people in a queer community to acknowledge all the work done before, so that we can work toward a better future,” Avani Sukhtankar ’26 shares. “LGBTQ+ History Month is important to me not just to celebrate those who are openly queer, but so that those who still struggle with their identities or who don’t feel safe coming out know that they are valid and they have history to turn to. This month shows that we’re here, we’re queer, and we have always been here. Acknowledging history avoids erasure and provides a strong foundation for our future.” | Photo by Adam Atkinson

OID’s programming this year also focuses on education: an Oct. 22 info session in Oechsle Hall will discuss the scope of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation and how to combat it. According to Hochfeld, coordinator of gender and sexuality programs for OID, this event will “help to reduce fear of the unknown and empower our community to know what’s at stake” in the upcoming election. 

“The climate we are in right now nationally as it pertains to the LGBTQ+ community can seem bleak [at times], but it is so much further ahead than where it used to be,” explains Hochfeld. “That is why we must honor and learn from those who paved the way.”

The College is also partnering with Robin Gow and Rain Black, two Lehigh Valley activists and educators, to host a queer self-defense workshop Oct. 28 and a presentation on Keith Haring and the Art of Protest Oct. 29. 

“We are not a monolith. One story can never capture the experiences of our totality. Queer history is beautiful and radical. There is value behind every single detail whether it be ballroom culture, drag performance, riots, to mutual aid. It is all queer history. It is all our history.” – Liu ’25, student leader who is working to reestablish QTPOC, a group for queer and trans people of color, on campus | Photo by Olivia Giralico

Community members can learn more about what’s coming up on the Gender and Sexuality Programs website and the College’s calendar of events. 

“If you are looking to be a better ally and/or aren’t quite sure what part of the community you belong to, these are all wonderful events to learn more on how to support this community, make a new friend, and celebrate diversity,” Hochfeld says.