By Roy Neill
As LGBTQ+ History Month comes to a close, it is an opportunity to reflect not only on the people and moments that shaped history, but on the role each of us can play in moving it forward. History has a funny way of reminding us that change doesn’t always start with the loudest voice, the biggest platform, or even the expectation that one person can make much of a difference. Sometimes, it starts small.
Which brings me to a bit of Dalai Lama wisdom that has always stuck with me, especially growing up in the Florida woods (pun intended): “If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.”
Thirty-two years ago, Rodney Wilson, a Missouri history teacher, walked into his classroom to teach a Holocaust lesson. During his lesson, he mentioned, “There was a pink triangle…” referring to the triangle sewn into the uniforms of gay men who were imprisoned.
In an unsettling moment of thought, Wilson realized textbooks and history lessons did not include LGBTQ+ people or LGBTQ+ history. After all, queer history is human history, intricately woven through the many atrocities of oppression, neglect and misunderstanding. And through the triumphs, stories of perseverance and gavels of equality.
That lack of inclusion led him to galvanize organizers and activists around the country to found Lesbian and Gay History Month in 1994 in the United States. Now known as LGBTQ+ History Month or Queer History Month, it is celebrated every October, which intentionally includes National Coming Out Day on Oct. 11 and commemorates the first National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights, held in Washington, D.C., in October 1979. Variations of the month are now celebrated around the globe.
While the Missouri history teacher helped spark this month of observance, LGBTQ+ rights have long filled our history books, metaphorically of course. From Coretta Scott King, an activist and the wife of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., to Bayard Rustin, a gay man and chief organizer of the ’63 March on Washington, queer rights are inextricably linked to civil rights.
Liberty. Justice. For All.
To quote the late, great Congressman John Lewis from Atlanta’s Fighting Fifth, “I have fought too hard and too long against discrimination based on race and color not to stand up against discrimination based on sexual orientation.”
The “good trouble,” as John would say.
History also reminds us that progress is sustained when people have spaces where they feel seen, heard and connected. That same idea of belonging carries into our workplaces today.
Employee Resource Groups are one way companies can help create those spaces. At their best, ERGs aren’t simply about bringing together employees with shared identities or experiences. They can create opportunities for connection, learning, allyship and service, while helping employees find meaningful ways to engage with one another and the communities around them.
For companies committed to community impact, that connection matters. Belonging can be a catalyst for service. When employees feel empowered to bring their experiences, perspectives and passions forward, that sense of belonging can extend beyond the workplace and inspire people to become advocates, volunteers, and partners in the communities where they live and work.
All history is shared, and we are responsible for ensuring it is not forgotten (or, sometimes, repeated). Movements for racial justice, gender equity, disability rights, LGBTQ+ rights and more have repeatedly shaped and strengthened one another. And strengthened us in the process.
Civil rights do not compete, and progress for one community has, can and will open doors for others.
For you, and for me.
Be a mosquito.
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