lgbtq history month

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Telling Our Family Histories

October is LGBTQ History Month, and I could write, as I have in the past, about the long history of LGBTQ parents, arguably going back to Sappho (7th-6th century BCE) and Alexander the Great (4th century BCE). This year, I instead want to remind us that we and our families are part of this long history, and to encourage us to think about how we can preserve our own family histories and pass them on to our children.

Recent Kids’ Books on LGBTQ History - LGBTQ History Month 2021

New Kids’ Books on LGBTQ History (and Dozens More)

It’s LGBTQ History Month, one of my favorite times of the year! Several new kids’ books on LGBTQ history and historical figures have come out since I last rounded them up, and a great new one is coming out shortly, so here’s a look!

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A Short History of LGBTQ Parenting

It’s LGBTQ History Month, so here’s a revised and expanded version of a piece I wrote last year on the history of LGBTQ parenting in the U.S.

History of LGBTQ Parents

“He’ll Always Be Dad”: Recalling Billy Tipton

Let’s continue our LGBTQ History Month exploration of LGBTQ parents in history with a look at jazz musician and bandleader Billy Tipton, who was also transgender and dad to three sons.

Radical Relations

A Look at LGBTQ Parenting History

I’ve written a lot about the history of LGBTQ parents to help show that we’re not really a newfangled and untested phenomenon, despite opinions to the contrary. We have a past to be proud of and the shoulders of role models to stand on. Here’s a recap for LGBTQ History Month.

Rainbow flag

LGBTQ Families, Past, Present, and Future

I love LGBTQ History Month almost more than I love Pride Month. Going to grad school in history will do that. Keeping in mind the truism “History is written by the victors” and philosopher George Santayana’s observation, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it,” I find there’s something about looking at our queer past that feels empowering and vital.

Milestones in LGBTQ Parenting History

October is LGBT History Month, and I want to celebrate with a look at some of the historical milestones—of laws, visibility, and community—related to LGBT parents in the U.S.

Bust of Sappho

The World’s First LGBT Parent

As this year’s LGBT History Month gets into full swing, I find myself wondering, “Who was the world’s first known LGBT parent?” To the best of my knowledge, she was the Greek poet Sappho, whose island home of Lesbos gave us the term “lesbian.” Sappho seems to have had a daughter named “Cleis”—meaning we can trace LGBT parents back to about 600 BCE.

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