LGBT History Month at the Library

LGBT History Month is an annual, month-long observance of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender history, and the history of the gay rights and related civil rights movements. In Australia, it is celebrated in October, to coincide with National Coming Out Day.

This October, the Library will be observing several days of awareness to show our solidarity and support for the LGBTQIA+ community. Read on to learn more about how you can participate!

National Coming Out Day is an annual day of awareness that celebrates the bravery required for LGBTQIA+ people to “come out”—that is, to openly express their sexuality and gender. It is celebrated on 11 October, to mark the anniversary of the 1978 March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. The founders of Coming Out Day believed that homophobia thrives in an environment of silence and shame, and that to live authentically as an LGBTQIA+ person is a profound form of activism.

To celebrate, the Library has put together an interactive display celebrating the diverse identities and experiences of the University of Sydney’s LGBTQIA+ students and staff. Visit the display on level 3 of Fisher Library, fill out a card with your own coming out story (or offer words of support for those who are still on their coming out journey), and add it to our living exhibition. This installation will be in place from 11–18 October.

This year the Library will celebrate International Pronouns Day on 16 October. Referring to people by the pronouns they choose for themselves is a simple but affirmative act of respect, inclusion, and warmth. By contrast, the misuse of personal pronouns—whether deliberate or inadvertent—can be profoundly detrimental to the health, wellbeing, and social participation of trans and gender diverse people.

The Library affirms the right of all people to self-determine how they are addressed and identified—you can read our guidelines for the appropriate use of gendered terms here. This International Pronouns Day, the Library is giving away free “he/him”, “she/her”, and “they/them” pronoun badges at Library information desks. Show your support for our trans and gender nonconforming peers by displaying your own pronouns, and join us as we strive to create a safe and welcoming environment for LGBTQIA+ people.

Ace Week (founded as Asexual Awareness Week in 2010) is an annual celebration that takes place during the last full week of October. Falling between 22–26 October this year, this week provides an opportunity for the asexual community and their allies to connect, celebrate, and build awareness.

While asexual people generally experience little to no sexual attraction towards others, it can be a little more complex than that. This Minus18 article provides an overview of some identity terminology used by members of the ace community, including aromatic, grey-sexual, grey romantic, demisexual, demiromantic, and aroace.

Ace identities are often overlooked or misunderstood, and many ace people grow up not realizing that asexuality is an option. By centering their stories and experiences, we can ensure that ace people know they’re not alone. Expand your understanding of asexuality with works like Rebecca Burgess’ How to Be Ace: A Memoir of Growing Up Asexual and Angela Chen’s Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex.

The Library is proud to highlight Intersex Awareness Day this Wednesday 26 October. Intersex people are born with biological sex characteristics (such as chromosomes, hormones, and anatomy) that don’t conform to medical norms for either male or female bodies. They have diverse lived experiences and gender identities, and while some consider themselves a part of the LGBTQIA+ community, others identify as cisgender and heterosexual.

Intersex Awareness Day marks the anniversary of the first public protest of intersex people and their allies in the US, held in 1996 at the annual conference of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Protesters campaigned then—and continue to campaign—against arbitrary and non-consultative assignment of sex and gender identity, non-consensual genital surgery, and discriminatory treatment in medical, legal, and other settings.

Show your solidarity this Intersex Awareness Day by educating your community about the challenges intersex people face and affirming their rights to bodily autonomy and lives free from prejudice and stigma. You can also explore some of our Library collection highlights by, for and about intersex people.