Subject
title
Proclamation Declaring October 2025 as LGBTQ+ History Month in Rockville, Maryland
end
Department
City Clerk/Director of Council Operations Office
Recommendation
Staff recommends that the Mayor and Council read and approve the proclamation, and members of the Rockville Human Rights Commission will accept it.
Discussion
Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transexual, Queer/Questioning Plus (LGBTQ+) History Month is celebrated in the United States to recognize the impact LGBTQ+ individuals have had on history-locally, nationally, and internationally.
In January 1994, a teacher from a suburban St. Louis, Missouri, high school, Rodney Wilson, conceived an idea that a month should be dedicated to the celebration and teaching of LGBTQ+ history. He gathered other teachers and community leaders to join him in this cause and selected the month of October as LGBTQ+ History Month.
The origins of LGBTQ+ history harken back to New York City and the Stonewall riots of June 28, 1969, and the legacy of Marsha P. Johnson, a visible and prominent member of the gay rights movements of the 1960s and 1970s. Since 1994, October has been recognized as LGBTQ+ history month by international, national, and local civil rights organizations, and multiple States, municipalities, and school boards, including Montgomery County and the City of Rockville.
The month of October is notable in LGBTQ+ history, including aligning with the first and second LGBTQ+ Marches on Washington. The City of Rockville recognizes the growing politicization and attacks on LGBTQ+ inclusive curriculum in schools across the United States and the need to reaffirm support for increased visibility and awareness of LGBTQ+ history. Recent findings show that LGBTQ+ students in Maryland feel safer and more accepted where LGBTQ+ inclusive curriculum and resources are a part of educational and community programs.
The City of Rockville wishes to recognize the many contributions of LGBTQ+ activists, organizations, students, and other residents who have contributed to making Rockville a welcoming and accepting place to live, work, and attend school, including the Montgomery County Pride Center, Live in Your Truth, Trans Maryland, Maryland Trans Unity, and Pride Prom.
Mayor and Council History
This is the second time that the Mayor and Council have presented the proclamation declaring October as LGBTQ+ History Month.