Organized by the Office of Pluralism and Leadership, LGBT history month kicked off with a speech by activist Kim Katrin Crosby on Sept. 30 and the re-opening of the resource room in Robinson Hall on Oct. 1. The events will continue with "Talk it Out," where LGBT community members share coming out stories and experiences with their sexuality at Dartmouth. This year's panel members will be director of religious and spiritual life Nancy Vogele, women's and gender studies professor Pati Hernandez, and three undergraduates.
"We really want this to be like a community story-sharing experience," Joseph Miller '14, the event's organizer, said. "I hope that people in the room will gain a better understanding of the breadth of diversity on this campus because everyone's coming out story is different, and being out at Dartmouth is different for everyone as well."
LGBT advisor Reese Kelly said the forum and other events this month aim to help allies and under-informed friends of community members gain exposure to LGBT life at Dartmouth.
"I hope that people will report having an increased awareness of LGBT identities, and that people will have a greater sense of belonging to one or more communities at Dartmouth," Kelly said.
The month's events include a screening of the documentary "In the Wrong Body" (2010) followed by a discussion with filmmaker Marilyn Solaya, a mixer with Dartmouth LGBT alumni and a closing address by activist Qwo-Li Driskill.
The events stemmed from student interest.
"The idea was to have a more holistic and multi-faceted series of events throughout the month where people could deeply engage with LGBT history," Kelly said. "One of the main themes is questioning, Who gets to create history?' We want to reclaim and re-understand history in a way that includes LGBT issues and identity politics."
Miller said the College's official recognition of the month is a step toward "fighting historically oppressive power dynamics."
"It allows for a time, space and venue for people who identify as LGBTQ to celebrate and fully express who they are, and it's integral to progressing a campus climate that is more inclusive," Miller said.
OPAL intern Yejadai Dunn '16 said the events are an important response to the Dimensions protests and aftermath last spring because they give the College a chance to openly support the LGBT community.
Preparations for the monthlong celebration began last spring, when OPAL asked students to suggest programming. Kelly and OPAL student interns handled most of the logistical preparations.
"This is the education that happens outside of the classroom," Kelly said. "These themed months give people the opportunity to fill themselves with new information, new ideas, and new perspectives that they will organically continue to talk about."
