OutCasting Overtime; Stonewall 50 - the importance of knowing LGBTQ history

[Andrew] This is OutCasting OverTime from Media for the Public Good, producer of public radio's LGBTQ youth programs. Hi, I'm Andrew, an OutCasting youth participant. On this edition I'm going to talk about the importance of learning LGBTQ history, whether you're LGBTQ or not. Almost everyone knows about Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Susan B. Anthony, and Harriet Tubman. But most people probably couldn't name major figures in the LGBTQ rights movements, like Marsha P. Johnson, Harvey Milk, Frank Kameny, or Gilbert Baker. Unfortunately there is a serious lack of awareness and understanding of LGBTQ history in our society. Unlike other major social and civil rights movements, LGBTQ history is barely taught in schools, if it is at all. I encountered brief mentions of Stonewall and "don't ask don't tell" in my US history textbook, but many people I know have heard no mention of LGBTQ history in their formal education. For LGBTQ people or anyone else who wants to learn about our history, we have to teach it to

ourselves. Often the only source of information is the internet or talking to other LGBTQ people. For me, much of my knowledge of LGBTQ history has come from working at OuCasting. In the past we've interviewed activists like Karla Jay, Ann Northrop, Christopher Z. Hobson, and Gilbert Baker about LGBTQ history. This month's episode is an interview I did with the journalist and activist Andy Humm covering the progression of LGBTQ rights since the 1950s in honor of the fiftieth anniversary of the Stonewall uprisings. You can listen to it at outcastingmedia.org. For LGBTQ people understanding our history can be vital to understanding and embracing our place in society. Given the erasure of LGBTQ history it's important for us to remember that we are not alone in our identities and struggles and that people like us have been around as long as human society has, even if mainstream common knowledge tends to neglect us. Hearing about major

activist figures and groups can make our own struggles seem more manageable and inspire us to rise up against our own continuing societal injustices. In addition, learning about and sharing our history as part of LGBTQ culture-- it's a shared interest and shared inheritance, something that brings us together through understanding of a common history. We all stand on the shoulders of activists who came before us and this knowledge brings us together, helping form the basis for a community that provides valuable support for our shared struggles. After my time at OutCasting I'll go on to college armed with a vast knowledge of LGBTQ societal issues and history which allow me the confidence and context to join in that history in ways however small by standing up for my own rights and needs as a trans person in a society that often overlooks or otherizes me. Without more widespread education about LGBTQ history, not every LGBTQ person has that opportunity. In common public knowledge LGBTQ history is seriously lacking. I've encountered so many people,

probably a vast majority of non LGBTQ people who have never even heard of the Stonewall uprisings, perhaps the most important and definitely the most widely known event in the LGBTQ rights movements. I almost can't even comprehend this because to me Stonewall is such an obvious fact of life, such a significant turning point in history. Although I see moments in history like this as so important, many non LGBTQ people don't even realize what they don't know. It has never even occurred to them that there is a backstory to modern LGBTQ rights and acceptance and they don't realize how much work has gone into it. Currently there are wide discrepancies in awareness of LGBTQ history throughout society. However it's important for everyone, LGBTQ or not, to have better education and exposure to LGBTQ history. An awareness of history counteracts the common misperception that LGBTQ identity and presence is a new phenomenon. In addition, history gives context to current struggles, stereotypes, and present institutions. Understanding LGBTQ history leads to

understanding of LGBTQ people, leading to more allies who are better supporting the LGBTQ community. LGBTQ people have existed in every society and culture around the world and across all of human history. We are your friends, family, classmates, co workers, and neighbors and understanding us requires understanding our history. No matter who you are, celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the Stonewall Riots by learning about the history of the LGBTQ rights movement. Thanks for listening to OutCasting Overtime. OutCasting Overtime is a production of Media for the Public Good, which produces public radio's LGBTQ youth programs. Our executive producer is Marc Sophos. Visit us at outcastingmedia.org to get information about OutCasting, watch OutCasting videos, access our social media links, and listen to OutCasting and OutCasting Overtime. Thanks, and thanks for listening.