LGBT History Month 2011 Website With Search Engine Launch

The 2011 LGBT History Month Website is now online at www.lgbtHistoryMonth.com. 

Each day in October, an Icon is featured with a video, biography, bibliography, downloadable images and other educational resources. These resources are available without charge. Organizations, educational institutions, workplace groups and individuals can obtain for free the featured Icon’s video for each day in October. A free and easily embedded video player provides the Icon’s video, which is automatically updated daily.

LGBT History Month 2011 includes an internal search engine for all 186 Icons from inception in 2006 to present. By clicking on “Icon Search” and choosing one of hundreds of categories such as African-American, Athlete, California, Germany, HIV/AIDS,  Military, Religion, Transgender, Youth; visitors to the site will be provided with links to all Icons in that category.

“Equality Forum is grateful to the MAC AIDS Fund for providing the funding for the search engine. Students, educators, journalists, organizations and activists can find Icons that resonate with their interests,” said Malcolm Lazin, Executive Director, Equality Forum, and founder of LGBT History Month.

LGBT History Month provides role models, teaches history, builds community, and makes the important civil rights statement of the LGBT community’s important contributions. As the only community worldwide that is not taught its history at home, in public schools or religious institutions, this free online project is educational, engaging and empowering.  

GSAs, colleges, and community centers, among others can download free Icon images and resources to create an LGBT History Month 2011 Exhibit. 

In 2010, the federal government recognized the project with Secretary Arne Duncan launching LGBT History Month ceremonies at the U.S. Department of Education.

LGBT History Month was launched in 2006 with 20 organizations having a link on their websites. In 2010, over 700 organizations and educational institutions had a link, making LGBT History Month the largest LGBT collaboration. In 2006, there were fewer than 100,000 web hits. In 2010, the site had 6 million hits (6,000% increase) and 260,000 unique visitors. 

October 2011 LGBT History Month Icons

1.   Kye Allums – Athlete 

2.   John Ashbery – Poet  

3.   Alison Bechdel – Cartoonist 

4.   John Berry – Government Official  

5.   Dustin Lance Black – Screenwriter 

6.   Keith Boykin – Commentator  

7.   Rita Mae Brown – Author   

8.   Dan Choi – Activist 

9.   Aaron Copland – Composer  

10.  Alan Cumming – Actor 

11.  Denise Eger – Rabbi 

12.  Lady Gaga – Singer 

13.  Michael Guest – Diplomat 

14.  Neil Patrick Harris – Actor

15.  Daniel Hernandez Jr. – Hero 

16.  Langston Hughes – Author 

17.  Frida Kahlo – Artist 

18.  David Kato – Ugandan Activist 

19.  Michael Kirby – Supreme Court Justice  

20.  Victoria Kolakowski – Judge  

21.  Dave Kopay – Athlete  

22.  Ricky Martin – Singer 

23.  Amélie Mauresmo – Athlete

24.  Constance McMillen – Youth Activist 

25.  Ryan Murphy – Writer/Director  

26.  Dan Savage – Journalist/Author  

27.  Amanda Simpson – Government Official  

28.  Wanda Sykes – Comedian/Actor

29.  Lilli Vincenz – Gay Pioneer 

30.  Virginia Woolf – Author 

31.  Pedro Zamora – AIDS Activist, MTV Personality 

Equality Forum (www.equalityforum.com), a national and international LGBT civil rights organization with an educational focus, coordinates LGBT History Month worldwide, produces documentary films, undertakes high-impact initiatives and presents annually the largest national and international LGBT civil rights summit.