LGBTQ history month sheds light on community

LGBTQ history month falls in October, representing the community of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning people.

The LGBTQ community is growing as society develops, with approximately eight million people claiming membership. A 2017 poll recorded that 60 percent of Americans are on board with same-sex marriages.

Sophomore Tori Butler said, “I feel that LGBTQ Awareness is a celebration. It celebrates the fact that the LGBTQ-plus community is less repressed by society.”

One issue the LGBTQ community deals with is suicide rates among members. Many of the younger people are cast out by their family, sexually abused and attempt to commit suicide.

According to a CDC study, 42.8 percent of LGBTQ students surveyed “had seriously considered attempting suicide during the 12 months before the survey.”

USCA’s Unity Club provides an all-inclusive environment, including members of the community and their allies.

Social media coordinator for the unity club, Selin Wayne said, “We host events and are our own little family.”

The Unity club was created to give students who are in the LGBTQ community a safe environment to talk and be heard. Students should feel free to come to meetings on Thursdays in H&SS 111 at 5 p.m.

Learning the history of the LGBTQ community helps society to recognize and love the diversity as well as the people that we share this world with. 

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Note from the Editors:  

A previous version of this article referred to the month as "LGBTQ awareness month." This is incorrect and the editorial board formally apologizes for this egregious error. Thank you for your understanding and patience. 

Questions, comments or concerns can be voiced to the editorial board through editor-in-chief Cecilia Maddox at cmycmy@usca.edu. Letters to the editor can also be sent to us through her.