LGBTQ+ History Month at Georgia State
As part of the university’s signature heritage observance months, Georgia State’s Cultures, Communities & Inclusion team is marking LGBTQ+ History Month this October. Everyone is invited to join in on the celebration!
LGBTQ+ History Month observes the history of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer/questioning communities and was first celebrated in the United States in 1994.
Check out the event highlights and helpful resources below!
Event Highlights
Make sure to check back for event updates and new events!
In the STATE Zone: LGBTQ+ 101 Workshop
Tuesday, Oct. 1, 3-4 p.m.
The Intersection Lounge & Virtual
Student Center East, Room 210
Cultures, Communities & Inclusion
In the State Zone workshops are designed to engage, equip, challenge and support the Georgia State community in being a more inclusive campus by encouraging emerging leaders to be agents of change on campus, in communities and the world beyond by increasing awareness, knowledge and skills.
All are invited to this interactive workshop on allyship and advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community. Attendees will learn the history, common vocabulary and lived experiences of LGTBQ+ communities and affirming practices.
LGBTQ+ History Month Film Screening: Rafiki
Thursday, Oct. 3, 3-5 p.m.
Intersection Lounge,
Student Center East 210
Cultures, Communities & Inclusion
Join CCI for a FREE screening of Rafiki to kick the month off! The film follows the story of romance that grows between two young women amidst family and political pressures around LGBTQ+ rights in Kenya.
The WERKshop: Ballroom Culture 101
Thursday, Oct. 10, 2-4 p.m.
Veteran's Memorial Hall (Inside Dahlberg Hall)
Cultures, Communities & Inclusion
Class is in session and you better WERK! Join CCI to explore, discuss and learn about ballroom culture with legends from Atlanta's LGBTQ+ Ballroom scene! Dress comfortably as you will be learning skills and putting them to test.
National Coming Out Day
Friday, Oct. 11, Noon - 2 p.m.
The Intersection Lounge
Student Center East, Suite 210
Cultures, Communities & Inclusion
Observed every year on October 11, National Coming Out Day is a chance to recognize members of the LGBTQ+ community and their stories of "coming out." Wherever you are on your journey, and have been out for years, are still discovering yourself, or want to celebrate those who are out, all are invited to join. Stop by for a snack and to contribute to our interactive display that will be highlighted at PRIDE Prom!
International Pronouns Day
Wednesday, Oct. 16, 10 a.m. – 4p.m.
Student Center East, Suite 206
Cultures, Communities & Inclusion
International Pronouns Day seeks to make respecting, sharing and educating about personal pronouns commonplace. Stop by Suite 206 throughout the day to make a pronoun button of your own, or grab a premade button.
Community Connections (C2): LGBTQ+: Out At Work
Wednesday, Oct. 16, 3-5 p.m.
Intersection Lounge,
Student Center East 210
Cultures, Communities & Inclusion
Join us for a thought-provoking and informative panel discussion, "Out at Work," as we celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month. This event aims to shed light on the experiences, challenges and triumphs of LGBTQ+ individuals in various professional fields. A diverse panel of LGBTQ+ professionals will share their personal journeys, discuss workplace inclusivity and offer valuable insights to help create more inclusive and supportive environments for all.
Gender and Sexuality Resource Room Open House + Spirit Day
Thursday, Oct. 17, Noon – 2 p.m.
The Intersection,
Student Center East, Suite 206
Cultures, Communities & Inclusion
Learn about the space and resources available to ALL Georgia State students through the Gender and Sexuality Resource Room. Spirit Day, observed annually Oct.17, raises awareness to prevent LGBTQ+ bullying. Stop by and take the pledge against bullying.
Pride Prom
Thursday, Oct. 17, 8-11 p.m.
Student Center East Ballroom
Cultures, Communities & Inclusion
Shine like the STAR you are are and join CCI in celebrating the stars of LGBTQ+ History! In collaboration with Georgia Tech's LGBTQIA Resource Center, this year's theme highlights and celebrates queer culture and iconic figures in LGBTQ+ history. Participants are encouraged to come and out celebrate by turning out astrology/celestial themed looks!
Be You, Be Well: HIV & STD Testing
Thursday, Oct. 24, Noon - 2 p.m.
Student Center East, Suite 206
Cultures, Communities & Inclusion, Be Well Panthers Health & Wellness
The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) recommends everyone between the ages of 13 and 64 get tested for HIV at least once. Stop by for free HIV and Hepatitis C testing and safer sex supplies.
Resources
History at the University Library: LGBTQ+ Archival Collections
The University Library Archives hold a treasure of holdings, from papers to photographs and oral histories, from LGBTQ+ people who called (and call) Atlanta and the South home. Multiple collections of materials from organizations and the personal papers of individual persons help tell their stories.
While some of the materials in the Gender & Sexuality Collections are available only in the library's reading room, there are a lot of materials that you can access 24/7 through the library's Digital Collections search system.
Selected materials from the following collections are available online through the Digital Collections search system:
- Gender and Sexuality Oral History Project documents LGBTQ+ history in Atlanta, Georgia and the South.
- Poet, psychotherapist, activist, and original member of the Radical Faeries, Franklin Abbott's papers include extensive personal correspondence, conference proceedings, printed and audio-visual items and materials related to his published works.
- Thomas Crim Jr. Papers include editorials, articles and letters to the editor from the Augusta Chronicle, about gay rights and smokers' rights.
- Jim Blyth Buffalo Chips scrapbooks document the activities of the Buffalo Chips gay clogging group.
- Andrew Wood Papers document Atlanta-focused ACT UP activities and the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence.
- LGBTQ Institute’s Jim Allen Papers highlight Pride events and ACT UP and Cracker Barrel protests.
- Terri Wilder Papers focus on HIV/AIDS as it affects women and children.
- Ron Lambe Running Water scrapbooks document Radical Faerie activities at Running Water Farm, in Bakersville, North Carolina.
- Mike Maloney OutTV Atlanta includes more than 200 tapes of raw footage from OutTV Atlanta – a local news and entertainment TV show that ran from 1999-2001.
- LGBTQ+ T-Shirt Collection brings together textiles from all of the Gender and Sexuality collections.
- Unitarian Universalists Lesbian and Gay Community Newsletters document the organization’s activities from 1982-1990.
- The Athens Gay/Lesbian Alliance Newsletter documents the organization’s activities from 1984-1985.
For Now and the Future
Student Organizations
Search for LGBTQ+ student organizations by keyword at the Panther Involvement Network.
PRISM
Pride, Respect, Inclusion, Support, Movement
The mission is to contribute to and support a welcoming and inclusive university community for sexual and gender minority faculty and staff through community building, education, mentorship, and advocacy.
Institute for Women's, Gender & Sexuality Studies
The Institute for Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) at Georgia State has been chartered since 1994, although its history reaches back to the 1970s when a small group of committed feminist faculty members began meeting to address women’s issues. Today, WGSS offers a cutting-edge academic program focusing on three areas: globalization, sexuality studies and social change.