Spectrum Hosts Events To Celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month

Since 1994, October has been a celebration for LGBTQ+ history. To commemorate, USD Spectrum is hosting several events for students to get involved and learn more about the LGBTQ+ community and its history.

Spectrum is the Gender and Sexuality Alliance on campus. They promote the advocacy of LGBTQ+ individuals and provide them with the resources they need on campus and in Vermillion. 

Spectrum president Jacob Homberg said it’s important for people to be informed on what it means to be LGBTQ+.

“I want people to see some of the things we go through,” Holmberg said. “There’s a lot of pushback from certain groups of people. But by informing the public, I hope that more people will be accepting and understanding of LGBTQ+ individuals.”

Spectrum is also partnering with the Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies department to present a film series on the history of the LGBTQ+ community.

Morgan Boeding, a sophomore involved with Spectrum, said it’s important for people to learn about what it’s like to be a part of the LGBTQ+ community.

“When people know and understand what people who identify as LGBTQ+ have gone through, both in the past and the present, they’re more likely to be accepting and possibly even willing to advocate for the queer community,” Boeding said.

LGBTQ+ community history month is a way to raise awareness. When students are better educated, they are more likely to stand up for what is right and be more accepting of the community as a whole, Holmberg said.

“We’ve definitely come a long way in the United States, but there’s still a lot of progress that could happen here,” Holmberg said. “A lot of people feel like they don’t know if they’d fit in, but we are an open space. We definitely need allies and advocates.”