Rather than just remembering history, this LGBTQ+ History Month, Chapman made history. From hosting the Rainbow Fiesta to attending Orange County Pride, Chapman had many events to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community during the month of October. But unfortunately, it all happened in a corner and away from view. 

First a small history lesson. Many people don’t understand why LGBTQ+ History Month is celebrated in October when there is already Pride Month in June.  

“My understanding is that this month is a newer tradition,” explained LL Hodges, an assistant instructional professor of history. “Since the introduction of themed historical months of different minority communities within the United States in the past few decades (in K-12 schools and colleges) a problem arose because most students are out of school by June, so the move to create a history month and place it in October was a way to make sure that students were also receiving information about queer pasts”

Aside from that, October is also a month with many important dates for the LGBTQ+ community. Oct. 11 is National Coming Out Day and Oct. 14 marks the anniversary of the first march in Washington for Lesbian and Gay rights. Additionally, there’s International Lesbian Day, International Pronouns Day, Asexual Awareness Week, Intersex Awareness Day and Spirit Day, which all celebrate members of the LGBTQ+ community and happen during October. 

And now that you understand why October is LGBTQ+ History Month, the question becomes, what does Chapman do to celebrate?

“There’s a lot of things we are trying to do in order to give recognition to the fact that this is LGBTQ History Month and to help people to see, particularly our LGBTQ Panthers that they are making history as well. To find your history and then also to make history,” said Kevin Nguyen-Stockbridge, the Director of LGBTQ Pride and Achievement. “We also made history as Chapman. This was the first year ever that we have marched on a pride parade.”

On Oct. 5, Chapman kicked off the history month by participating in Orange County’s Pride Parade, which was usually held in Santa Ana during June or July. This year however, the parade took place at the Orange County Fair Ground in Costa Mesa and Chapman was present with a small group of people and a big banner, alongside almost 100 different organizations, including the OC LGBTQ Center and University of California, Irvine Health. 

But that was only the beginning. Throughout LGBTQ+ History Month, many different events were happening around campus to mark the occasion. On International Pronouns Day, there was a kick-off event for the Panther Pronouns Project, a book club that will be reading a book by a trans athlete and activist Schuyler Bailar. During the event, students were able to get copies of the book. Those who weren’t able to attend, but are still interested can visit Nguyen-Stockbridges’ office to get a copy. 

On Oct. 15 there was a Rainbow Fiesta in the terrace of Argyros Forum (AF). The idea behind this particular event was to celebrate the intersection of LGBTQ+ History Month and Hispanic Heritage Month and to highlight how people with those intersectional identities are making history. This event saw pride flags flying alongside many Latin American flags and the world’s first LGBTQ Mariachi — “Mariachi Arcoiris” — performed many songs for the attendees. 

Throughout the month in all of the events, Nguyen-Stockbridge and the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) office tried to have resources available for students to be able to learn more about LGBTQ+ history on their own. They had handouts that included QR codes for everything from virtual museums to podcasts and articles. 

“One way I think about celebrating a history month is to learn history. That could just be finding out more about queer folks historically within your major, within your outside interests, within your community,” said Hodges. “There’s so many books out there, there’s so many documentaries out there, I really recommend exploring what you’re interested in and then seeing how that relates to queer history. I don’t think there’s one source or one place to go. I would start with your own interests and then try to see how your own interests intersect with queer history.”

Hodges explained that when we are taught history, it tends to be from a nationalistic standpoint, which tends to overlook, or outright purposefully ignore LGBTQ+ history. They believe this is why it is so important to have a history month for the LGBTQ+ community, as it allows people to reinsert the history of the queer community into the broader U.S. history. 

Nguyen-Stockbridges echoed those same feelings, adding that it’s important to see how the LGBTQ+ community has shaped U.S. history, as well as the world. But LGBTQ+ history often being ignored is not the only challenge the office of DEI faced. For Nguyen-Stockbridge, it’s important to remember the dark side of history and the oppression the community has faced, to make sure that we don’t forget it happened and don’t make the same mistakes again. But it’s also important for people to see that LGBTQ+ history is about more than just being oppressed. 

“For me, it’s really important that we don’t just see LGBTQ+ history as only a negative history, only a history of oppression, but also a history of building and innovating and recreating the world,” said Nguyen-Stockbridge. “Learn the story and then do a little more digging. Try to hear or read the words of those people, because I think what you find when you read the words is that the only reason that these people have made it so far is because they had hope. And that hope is so important.” 

Students who attended the events found that they were greatly benefitted. Chen Merino, a sophomore psychology major who is also the president of the LGBTQ+ club Shift/Happens, was able to use some of the resources from one of the events and share them with people in his club.

“They had resources for pretty much anyone from the community (at the resource fair). There were resources to have community, like group meetings off campus and different community centers. Also there were events, there were resources with information for HIV…” said Merino. “There was also information very specifically for different cultures.”

But even students who weren’t able to attend any events, had a chance to celebrate around campus. 

“I did see the LGBTQ Pride exhibit that was in AF on the first floor, between Qdoba and the usual I AM CHAPMAN wall, and I did appreciate seeing that, because I use the elevator almost every day, so it was nice to walk there and see so much pride flags, seeing pride historians or pride activists,” said Elyse Tran, a junior psychology major.

The exhibit featured a big pride flag, art from Keith Haring that was made to raise awareness during the AIDS epidemic, pictures of drag queen activists Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera, who were veterans of the Stonewall uprising and pictures with a short bio for James Baldwin, a writer and civil rights activists and Gilbert Baker, who created the pride flag. Throughout the month, students were also able to listen to queer artists, who were featured in the music that plays in AF.

“I do wish that these events were more publicized overall,” added Tran. “The only reason I knew about them was because my professor sent them out in an email, or I’m also part of the Panther Hub for LGBTQ students, so that was another way I was aware of that.”

Despite all the events and efforts that were put on to celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month, Chapman’s LGBTQ+ community continues to fly under the radar. With most of the information for the events being posted on the LGBTQ+ Panther Hub, or the Chapman @cu_lgbtq Instagram instead of the main @lifeatcu account, students need to already be in the know about the LGBTQ community at Chapman to be aware of the events happening. 

“I don’t think (most students are aware),” said Merino. “It’s not really announced. I think I’ve only ever seen it on Instagram in the (@cu_lgbtq) account (and) from the other queer clubs too. That’s the only way that I know. A lot of the students wouldn’t know unless they follow those accounts.”

Chapman has made many efforts to make campus more welcoming to LGBTQ+ students, staff and faculty, the most notable of which was the appointment of Nguyen-Stockbridge as director of LGBTQ+ pride and achievement.

“It seems like the university is invested in LGBTQ students, at least as far as the creation of (Nguyen-Stockbridges position) shows an investment to make sure that LGBTQ identities are incorporated within the (office of DEI),” said Hodges. “Of course, the university could be doing more, I think any minority group is going to be saying that the university could be doing more”

But while Chapman keeps making strides in celebrating its marginalized communities, it’s also important to acknowledge how far it still has to come and how students and faculty continue to face unique struggles, even within Chapman. Merino has on multiple occasions felt excluded when professors refer to things as being exclusively for girls when talking about things related to pregnancy for instance, even though it applied to him as well as a transgender man. He also feels strongly about how important it is that professors ask about pronouns instead of just assuming. 

“I know from talking to Dr. Kevin that he tries to set up meetings to bring awareness to the faculty and the staff. I know they can’t make it something that you have to do,” explained Merino. “I think that’s a good thing that he’s trying to do, but I still find myself in situations with professors (that) are not too aware of the fact that they have students who are LGBTQ, so sometimes they won’t ask about pronouns.” 

It is exactly the sort of incidents that Merino talked about that highlight the importance of celebrating LGBTQ+ History Month, not just for the community, but for all people. LGBTQ+ History Month is an important tool to, not just remember everything the community has done and been through, but also raise awareness of the challenges the LGBTQ+ community still faces. When people outside of the community are able to engage with the LGBTQ+ community and get educated, they become more aware of how to not accidentally exclude them from conversations, which is why it is so important for everyone to be aware of LGBTQ+ events happening on campus. 

“Chapman emphasizes diversity and inclusion so I feel like if we (didn’t) celebrate LGBTQ History Month, then we wouldn't really be upholding the values that we say that we do,” said Tran. “Especially being part of the LGBTQ community and being friends with a lot of people who are part of that community, and being in a minor which is full of people who are LGBTQ+ it's important to recognize the demographic that we have at Chapman. I feel like if we were to ignore them it’s just ignoring a huge community within Chapman and ignoring that their stories matter.”