PROUD & POSITIVE

SPECTRUM CLUB COMMEMORATES LGBTQ+ HISTORY MONTH WITH NUMEROUS COURTYARD DISPLAYS PROMOTING SELF-PRIDE

BY AMELIA HAGGINS

Among a sea of pink shirts, flashes of red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple were sprinkled around the upper school courtyard. Displayed on saran wrap, teacher’s windows, people’s shirts and the sidewalk, the colors represent a sense of diversity and solidarity associetd with the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ+) communities. To commemorate the diversity of the LGBTQ+ community and further educate Maclay students on the contributions made by its members, Spectrum Club held an all-inclusive celebration for LGBTQ+ History Month in the courtyard on Friday, Oct. 22 2021.

Nearly 30 years since its adoption as a national month, LGBTQ+ History Month was created by Missouri teacher Rodney Wilson. Aiming to highlight the achievements made by members of the LGBTQ+ community, Wilson led a campaign to include LGBTQ+ history and education in schools. The efforts made by Wilson and his colleagues were successful, for the General Assembly of the National Education Association passed a resolution to include LGBTQ+ History Month within a list of commemorative months. Since National Coming Out Day (Oct. 11) and the anniversary of the first march on Washington for gay and lesbian rights both fall in October, the month of October was selected to host and honor the history made by LGBTQ+ individuals.

The celebration of this year’s LGBTQ+ History Month fell in the hands of Spectrum Club members. Spectrum Club, which focuses and is led around a message of spreading inclusivity and expressing individuality, hosted this year’s LGBTQ+ festivities to shed light on members of the community who may feel overlooked.

“Our club focuses on diversity issues, and we find it important to make sure that everyone feels welcome at Maclay,” English teacher and Spectrum Club cosponsor Lee Norment said. “While I do want people to open their minds and their eyes, I cannot control that. I think it is important that we also acknowledge the fact that our club members are able to celebrate themselves and feel validated.”

Student involvement from both upper and underclassmen in the recent celebration has served as one of the key aspects of the event’s organization. Spectrum Club members brainstormed and eventually implemented numerous ideas to help educate their peers on LGBTQ+ history.

These ideas included the creation of a curated playlist containing LGBTQ+ singers, two interactive “Proud and Positive” boards and numerous posters that displayed the names of influential LGBTQ+ members.

“[LGBTQ+ History Month] is for one, not over the summer like PRIDE Month,” senior and Spectrum Club co-leader Maddie Lillie said. “This way, we can talk about the history and how things have changed and developed, while also being proud of the history.”

Instances of being proud of both LGBTQ+ history and personal individuality were apparent on Friday as countless students returned to the “Proud and Positive” boards to add sticky notes that contained what they were proud of in their lives. Spectrum Club’s commemoration of the LGBTQ+ community in American history ultimately served as both a testament to the inclusive nature of the LGBTQ+ community and an embracement of the unique and diverse personalities of Maclay upper school students.

“LGBTQ+ awareness is really important to me,” freshman Emily Hawken said. “I thought it would be good to put some positivity out here today and spread both awareness and love.”