GSD Looking Back: LGBTQ+ History Month

It’s October, and while some are focused on pumpkin spice, tasty candy, and the promise of spooky fun, others are thinking back. It’s LGBTQ+ history month, a time to honor the life and times of LGBTQ+ people over the years.

At GSD, the Gender-Sexuality Diversity organization, Seniors August Gardyne, Arjun Khanna, and Toby Crawford are excited to share the history of the pride movement. Around the School, portraits of famous historical figures, such as Sappho and Oscar Wilde, have been tacked up courtesy of GSD, alongside short descriptions of their lives and their identity within the LGBTQ+ community. These portraits acknowledge the deep impact of the LGBTQ+ movement on art, literature, music, science, and history. 

Audre Lorde, a poet and activist from 1960’s era New York, spoke and wrote passionately about her own lesbian identity and female empowerment. Her poetry lives on today, and Juniors at the School even read and discuss her poems and theories.

Alan Turing was an incredibly talented mathematician from England who developed ingenious code-breaking techniques during World War II. Known as the father of computers and artificial intelligence, he developed the famous “Turing Test,” which is still used today to determine if a computer is capable of simulating human thinking. He was tried for his sexuality, as homosexuality was a crime in England during his time, and forced into conversion therapy. 

Marsha P. Johnson was a pioneer in trans rights and an extremely prominent drag queen during the 1960s and 1970s. Most well known for their presence at the Stonewall Riots, where the police clashed with LGBTQ+ activists at the Stonewall Inn, Johnson spent their life fighting for LGBTQ+ rights. Later in life, Johnson became an outspoken advocate for people with AIDS and fostered many young LGBTQ+ people who were forced out onto the streets. 

Andy Warhol painted electrifying pop art in New York during the 1950s and 1960s. Known mainly for his famous paintings of everyday objects, like the Campbell soup cans and Coca-Cola bottles, and for his portraits of various pop culture icons, Warhol’s queer identity led him to work with queer activists, such as the aforementioned Marsha P. Johnson.

Over the years, queer history and queer people have long been silenced. During LGBTQ+ history month, we are prompted to think about those who paved the way for a more inclusive future.