The following article was written by Michael Tapia.

Recognized annually in the U.S., Canada, and Australia in the month of October, in the UK and Hungary in February, and in Germany and Cuba in May, LGBTQ+ History Month provides a great opportunity for educators to provide mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors for our diverse student bodies.

Created in 1994 by a Missouri high school teacher, Rodney Wilson, LGBTQ+ History Month recognizes important moments in the history of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and their accomplishments and contributions to society. Included during this month-long recognition, National Coming Out Day (Oct. 11) not only encourages those who are LGBTQ+ to acknowledge their identities publicly but also celebrates the anniversary of the first National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights that took place in October of 1987.

A fact that bears repeating is LGBTQ+ transcends all racial, ethnic, gender, language, ability/disability, religious and socioeconomic student and adult groups. In California, the Williams Institute at UCLA estimates that roughly 10 percent of middle and high school students in California identify as LGBTQ (2019). Nationally, 18 percent of LGBTQ+ adults are parenting children under the age of 18 and approximately 5 million children are being raised by an LGBTQ+ parent (2024).

As administrators, one of our responsibilities is to ensure that our campuses are welcoming to all students, families, and staff, and that our curriculum not only reflects our students’ intersecting identities but also provides insights and understanding of other cultures to those unfamiliar with them. As educators, we also want all our students to be engaged and successful at school. However, if the school climate is not one that provides feelings of inclusivity and acceptance, opportunities for learning and achievement may be diminished for our marginalized students. It is also equally important for us to offer inclusive environments for our LGBTQ+ staff; people may find it difficult to support students if they themselves do not feel welcome.

During my tenure as a teacher and, later, principal, I was primarily focused on DEI in the context of race, ethnicity, language and socioeconomics. It wasn’t until I retired that I began to learn about the struggles of students who identify as LGBTQ+ in our schools in California and nationally.

When my partner, Steven Bailey, established the Region 13 LGBTQ+ Network in 2016, I started gathering resources after researching on the internet. Over time, what began as a compact list of books, articles, and LGBTQ+ organizations has evolved into comprehensive guides celebrating LGBTQ+ History Month in October and Pride Month in June.

The LGBTQ+ History Month Resource Guide – October 2026 includes:

These materials are available on ACSA’s Resource Hub – please consider sharing them with educators in your school(s) so they may appreciate the many options for expanding LGBTQ+ inclusivity.

Michael Tapia is a retired principal from Ventura USD.