At its regular Oct. 8 meeting, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion led by Supervisor Janice Hahn, and co-authored by board chair Lindsey P. Horvath, to proclaim October 2024 as LGBTQ+ History Month and Saturday, October 12 as National Coming Out Day in L.A. County.
The motion instructs the County Library and Department of Arts and Culture to promote LGBTQ+ History Month related events, programs, and resources, a news release said.
“At a time when LGBTQ+ people everywhere are facing threats to their rights and safety, here in the largest county in the nation, we continue to make our position very clear: whether you are young or old, straight or gay, out or not, your county government continues to stand with you to continue to the fight for equality,” said Hahn in the release. “We are here to walk this road with you.”
Hahn was also behind the recent opening of the new LGBTQ+ Community Resource Center in Whittier, which officials say will fill a critical gap in care for LGBTQ+ residents in the area.
The move also honors local leaders of the LGBTQ+ rights movement, including former California State Assemblymember and L.A. County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl; former West Hollywood Mayor and current county assessor Jeffrey Prang; the first Latino and LGBTQ mayor of Long Beach Robert Garcia; and Mario Trujillo, the first openly gay Mayor of Downey.
“This October, Los Angeles County will uplift our LGBTQ+ heritage – from historic places like Black Cat Café and Ginger Rogers Beach to the continued fight for marriage equality – and recommit ourselves to actively working together and protecting the rights of a community that continues to be threatened today,” said Horvath in the release.
LGBTQ+ History Month — originally known as Lesbian and Gay History Month — was launched in 1994 by history teacher Rodney Wilson, the first openly gay public high school teacher in Missouri. Officials said the month is intended to encourage openness and honesty about LGBTQ+ identity, to help foster a sense of belonging and empowerment for the diverse community.
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It coincides with National Coming Out Day on October 11th, and commemorates the 1979 and 1987 marches in Washington for LGBTQ+ rights.
The Progress Pride Flag, celebrating the LGBTQ+ community in Los Angeles, was also raised this past summer at the Hall of Administration, outside L.A. City Hall during June Pride Month.