October is a busy month for diversity and inclusion! The start of the month marks the beginning of National LGBT History Month. Oct. 11 is National Coming Out Day, and Hispanic Heritage Month extends into Oct. 15. The Teaching Center invites you to learn about each celebration and embrace the intersectional perspective necessary for supporting individuals from these communities.

The first National Coming Out Day (NCOD) was Oct. 11, 1988 — the one-year anniversary of the National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. NCOD is a day to celebrate LGBTQIA+ visibility, acknowledge the integration of the personal and the political, and continue to advocate for marginalized communities.

National LGBT History Month was created in 1994 by a high school teacher, Rodney Wilson, who wanted to dedicate a month to exploring LGBTQIA+ historical figures and movements with his students. LGBTQIA+ individuals are often not taught their community’s history at home or at school, but October is a month when LGBTQIA+ organizations ask educators to remember the contributions of their diverse population.

Hispanic Heritage Month (HHM) is a federally recognized month-long celebration of the contributions of up to 18 percent of the US population that traces their ancestry to many countries of Latin America, including South and Central America, as well as the Caribbean. Sept. 15, 1968, marked the beginning of the first official HHM, yet the history and culture of Latin America has been woven into the tapestry of the everyday lives of American citizens for centuries.

Resources for faculty:

• Supporting Students Coming Out
• University of Pittsburgh LGBTQIA+ Resources for Faculty 
• How Shakespeare Got It Wrong: Names and pronouns in your classroom
• National Hispanic Heritage Month
• HHM in Pitt’s classrooms