I love October for the weather, the candy, and especially the snippets of queer history being shared around the Web. So many sites and pages that I love ( including HuffPost Gay Voices) join in the celebration by sharing "on this day in LGBT history" stories throughout the month of October.
Now LGBT History Month is over (in the U.S., at least; much of Europe celebrates it in February), but why must we wait another 11 months for our history to be shared again? What about Nov. 1's "on this day in LGBT history" events? Aren't they just as important as Oct. 31's? Of course they are. For example, on Nov. 1, 1972, ABC aired the first, or at least one of the first, TV movies to feature homosexuality in a sympathetic light. In That Certain Summer, Martin Sheen and Hal Holbrook played two lovers, one of whom tries to explain his sexual orientation to his 14-year-old son by his ex-wife.
That's why there are hundreds of LGBT history projects out there to keep this recognition going year-round, and not just in books or museums. You can find so much online for free. Check out my list of wikis, Tumblrs, blogs, e-books, and other online resources where you can find LGBT history. If you have a smartphone or tablet, there's even a free app for that: Quist.
I created Quist because LGBT history is too important to only learn about 31 days of the year. These stories from the past can change lives in the present. Queer history inspires us to keep going with our activism today because we've seen the progress that it leads to. Queer history lets us know that those who came before us had the same confusing feelings when they were coming out and often made it through stronger on the other side. Queer history tells us that LGBT people have made significant contributions that we can be proud of, in every sphere of society.
Celebrating LGBT history is even more important in November than in October, because it shows that we don't just remember for one month a year.