October is LGBTQ+ history month, celebrating the LGBTQ+ community and its history of gay rights and other related civil rights movements.

Developed in 1994 by Missouri high school history teacher Rodney Wilson, each of the 31 days of October highlights a different notable member of the LGBTQ+ community. Also occurring in October is National Coming Out Day, which takes place on Oct. 11 and celebrates those who have come out as LGBTQ+, and also those who are unable to due to their environment.

The university kicked off the celebratory month with the LGBTQ+ Flag Raising event. Taking place at the flagpole in front of the Marvin K. Peterson Library, a crowd of around 30 individuals gathered at 11a.m..

“It’s an honor to have you all stand before us today as we celebrate,” said PRIDE club president AJ Stack. “LGBTQ+ is a beautiful tapestry of identities, experiences and stories, we are rich in diversity as well,” they said. “The month encompasses the contributions of people across all spectrums.”

Stack highlighted Cecelia Chung, who is a transgender advocate for the community and has faced many obstacles during her lifetime. Identifying as gay before making the transition from male to female, Chung faced several issues such as her parents disowning her, losing her job and home and contracting HIV. Despite these hardships, Chung stands as a notable individual in the LGBTQ+ community due to her steadfast beliefs, and said that the difficult period of her life “sounds painful, but what was more painful was to not know who you are.”

“As we look towards our future, we reflect on the past and face the challenges still to come, such as the rise of the anti-LGBTQ legislation,” said Undergraduate Student Government Association (USGA) President Darby Brown, who acknowledges that the LGBTQ+ community still has a ways to go.

“These obstacles serve as reminders that the fight is far from over,” said Brown. “We come from diverse backgrounds, but with the same desire; to live in a world where we are true to ourselves, regardless of race, gender and sexuality.”

Notable criminal justice expert at the University of New Haven, Micheal Lawlor, also made an appearance at the flag raising. He is praised amongst the LGBTQ+ community for his efforts and advocacies by leading the legislation that made Connecticut the second state in the United States to pass a law, allowing for same-sex couples to enter into civil unions.

“It [LGBTQ+ community] started off as just Gay and Lesbian, but it’s grown to a much larger list, which represents all of us,” said Lawlor. “From my lived history, I can definitely say that the most effective advocacies were the ones who shared their personal stories, it changed the most lives.”

“I highly encourage all of you, whether it be your own personal experience or as an ally, to share your own stories,” he said. “It takes courage to do that, trust me.”

For more information on LGBTQ+ history month and the events being held on campus throughout the month, you can look at the instagram page @unewhavenpride.