Date: Sun, 23 Apr 1995 17:33:35 -0500 From: Randy Ream To: Multiple recipients of list QSTUDY-L Subject: Lesbian/Gay History Month JOIN US IN CELEBRATING OCTOBER LESBIAN & GAY HISTORY MONTH Until quite recently, lesbians, bisexuals and gay men were excluded from historical study. In much the same way that women, African-Americans and other ethnic minorities have been erased from the historical record of the human family, the contributions of gay and lesbian people have been, to quote Paul Monette, "buried in shallow...graves." In many cases, key contributions were recognized, but questions of sexual orientations were removed from the official record so as to not offend. The recovery of stolen history is vital to the pursuit of freedom. Several authors have made this point in recent works regarding lesbian & gay history. * When, as a lesbian, I "turned to history to help me understand the social arrangements which devalue me, and the lives and resistance of the women before me, I found that history almost entirely unrecorded." Lisa Duggan, _Frontiers_, 1979. * "Knowledge of Gay history helps restore a people to its past, to itself...The Study of the Gay past raises the question of whether this society can accommodate the demands of America's dispossessed for power and control over the machinery by which they make their lives." Jonathan Katz _Gay American History_. * "Our stories have died with us long enough." Paul Monette, _Becoming a Man_. We have begun to create institutions that help us preserve our history. Community-based gay & lesbian libraries and archives, gay/lesbian owned publishing and media, and gay studies programs are just a few examples. Why celebrate October as Lesbian & Gay History Month? 1) To educate society about the contributions made by lesbians, bisexuals and gay men to the history of our world. 2) To reclaim our heroes and heroines whose contributions have been "sanitized" of their sexual orientation to make them palatable to others. 3) To help in the identification of role models for the nation's gay & lesbian youth so that they can see a future where they are valued regardless of their sexual orientation. 4) To preserve the stories of the struggles of everyday men and women for life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness against those who would deny this simply because of their sexual orientation. 5) To focus activities during one month of the year so that our efforts can be coordinated and visible to all. 6) To accomplish all of this during an academic calendar month so that we can educate our youth and young adults and reduce the likelihood that fear and hatred of homosexuals will be propagated into the next generation. For more information write or call: Lesbian & Gay History Month c/o Gerber/Hart Gay & Lesbian Library & Archives 3352 N. Paulina Chicago, IL 60657 Fax (312) 883-3078 E-mail LGBHM@aol.com If your organiztion would like to participate in the celebration of Lesbian & Gay History Month, e-mail JCMP81A@Prodigy.com for endorsement information.