UAlbany Students Celebrate Inspiring Figures During LGBTQ History Month

Composite image of five UAlbany students posing for portraits outdoors on a sunny autumn day on campus.

ALBANY, N.Y. (Oct. 29, 2024) — LGBTQ+ History Month takes place each year throughout the month of October and is a chance to recognize and celebrate the history, impact and achievements of the LGBTQ+ community in the Unites States.

Founded in 1994 by Rodney Wilson, a gay high school history teacher from Missouri, the celebration encompasses National Coming Out Day on Oct. 11 and the first and second Marches on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights, which collectively drew hundreds of thousands of people to Washington, D.C., in 1979 and 1987.

UAlbany students shared what this month means to them and pay homage to figures in the LGBTQ+ community who have inspired them throughout the years.

—Photos by Mario Sotomayor

Phoenix Hernandez

A young person in glasses poses for a portrait on campus on a sunny autumn day. — Pronouns: He/Him. Junior. Student Association Director of Gender and Sexuality Services. Connections Peer Educator in the Women’s Resource Center.

“To me, LGBTQ+ History Month means reclaiming history that has been lost or forgotten about because we often have been forgotten about in history and invalidated. It's important to recognize our history because we've had a lot of great accomplishments within the LGBTQ+ community, and just being able to recognize and celebrate that I feel like is activism in itself. I've always looked up to Elliot Fletcher. He's a trans actor and when I was a kid, I thought he was really cool. He showed me that it's really possible to do whatever I wanted to.”

Juan Morales

A young person in glasses, a pink shirt and cardigan sweater poses for a portrait in front of a Pride Flag. — Pronouns: He/Him. First Year Graduate Student. Gender Sexuality Resource Center Graduate Assistant.

“To me, LGBTQ+ History Month means lifting up voices for LGBTQ+ folks. It's important to highlight LGBTQ+ History Month because here at the University at Albany, we have a big focus on inclusivity, and it's important to uplift and make visible the gender and sexual diversity that the campus has. For me, the figure that's the most influential is Anthony Ocampo. He talks about the experiences of brown immigrants and their sons and how they navigate their identity.”

MJ Smedley

A young person in glasses, a black shirt featuring a star and jean jacket poses outside on a sunny autumn day. — Pronouns: He/They. Senior. Gender Sexuality Resource Center Trans Outreach Intern.

“LGBTQ+ History Month to me means a time where I'm able to celebrate a part of myself that I was always aware existed and always showed. It's important to recognize LGBTQ+ History Month because we've always been here, even though the media doesn't always seem to show that we were always here. And it's further proving that not only were we here, but we've been here forever. I really look up to Bayard Rustin since he was not only a civil rights leader, but also a queer activist himself. And I feel like that's very inspiring nowadays, being a queer black person myself.”

Madison Bogart

A young person with long brown hair poses for a portrait on campus on a sunny autumn day. A stand of trees with yellow leaves can be seen in the background. — Pronouns: She/Her. Sophomore. Member of Building Ladies Up.

“LGBTQ+ History Month to me means to take time to reflect on our past and how we got to where we were right now. I also think it means to come together as a community and be one and hold each other up and support all around. I think LGBTQ+ history is important to celebrate because it's important to bring awareness to people who aren't as fluid in themselves and just let everybody know that it's OK to be you. A member of the LGBTQ+ I look up to is RuPaul. He put LGBTQ+ people on a pedestal and it was kind of just forthcoming into where we are now as a community.”

Skylar Dannan

A young person with long brown hair in a black shirt poses for a portrait on a sunny autumn day. Colorful foliage can be seen in the background. — Pronouns: She/They. Sophomore. Member of Building Ladies Up.

“For me, LGBTQ+ History Month kind of represents that sense of community that we have. And even though it may be hard to identify as LGBTQ, sometimes it's a reminder that there's a community here for us. It's important to celebrate, to remind everybody that we're not alone and that it's OK and it's something to be proud of to be LGBTQ+. One LGBTQ+ plus figure I look up to is Ashley Gavin. Listening to her podcast really helped me come out and it's really awesome to see queer women that are super successful.”