(Photo Credits: Anna Shvets from Pexels)
October is LGBTQ+ History Month, guys. But what happens during LGBTQ+ History Month, you ask?
Well, according to the official website, the month of October is dedicated to celebrating the achievements of 31 lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender icons who made history and who made important contributions both to the community and the whole world. They explained, “Each day in October, a new LGBT Icon is featured with a video, bio, bibliography, downloadable images and other resources.”
If you wish to view the 31 LGBTQ icons featured for this year’s LGBTQ+ History Month, click here. Included in the list are: American suffragist Susan B. Anthony, poet W.H. Auden, New York Times columnist Frank Bruni, composer Frédéric Chopin, and U.S. Congressman David Cicilline to name a few.
For this year’s LGBTQ+ History Month, we decided to put a spotlight on Frédéric Chopinas it was only last year when it was brought to light that he had male lovers. Take a look at his brief bio below:
Sometimes I can only groan, suffer, and pour out my despair at the piano! – Frédéric Chopin
Born on March 1, 1810, Chopin was a world-renowned Polish French pianist and composer of the Romanic period. He was a prodigy who started composing and giving public concerts at the age of 7.
Chopin had over 230 compositions, some of which are the following: Nocturnes, Op. 9 and 15; Études; Ballade No. 3 in A-flat Major, Opus 47; and Prelude No. 4 in E Minor (“Largo”), etc. Chopin passed away on October 17, 1849 at the age of 39 due to tuberculosis.
Was Chopin gay?
During the spring 2020 lockdown, Swiss music journalist Moritz Weber started researching letters written by Chopin and he revealed that he discovered a “flood of declarations of love aimed at men.” Chopin reportedly wrote 22 letters to a school friend named Tytus Woyciechowski alone. Woyciechowski was a Polish activist.
Chopin’s letter to Woyciechowski, said Weber, often started with “My dearest life” and he closed it with: “Give me a kiss, dearest lover.” Read The Guardian’s interview with Weber in full here.
Having said all that, take a look at some of the tweets regarding the celebration:
🌈 🏳️⚧ In 1994, history teacher Rodney Wilson started #LGBTHistoryMonth as a way to celebrate & teach LGBTQIA+ history. Join us this month as we proudly recognize some inspiring local LGBTQIA+ leaders.
— Philadelphia Schools (@PHLschools) October 4, 2021
Learn more: https://t.co/5CzQGYEkpY pic.twitter.com/zA85AaPuOx
W.H. Auden was a Pulitzer Prize-winning British-born poet who became an American citizen at age 39. Inspired by Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost and T. S. Eliot, he is considered one of the greatest poets of the 20th century. #equalityforum#lgbthistorymonth #lgbt #lgbtequality pic.twitter.com/utfh6EQOma
— Equality Forum (@EqualityForum) October 2, 2021
Happy LGBTQ+ History Month 2021, guys!
Why?, I’ll wait for Native American History Month. When is that again?
Today October 11th is Indigenous People Day. Not a month but a day that was plastered over Columbus Day a while back in 1992 by the Berkeley CA City Council. So there you go!
Canada (the country that treated indigenous people much as the US treated blacks as slaves) celebrates such a day on June 21st. (It’s history, don’t shoot the messenger,)
Berkeley? Fukken seriously?? We Native Americans deserve the same pomp the gay community demands.
I don’t think we need any history months. Explore, learn and achieve your own history. We need unity more than ever now. Be proud of who you are, strive to be the best you can be and help others when you can.
well said