EQUALITY FORUM CELEBRATES OCTOBER GLBT HISTORY MONTH
3,200 Gay/Straight Alliances receive gay history publication

Equality Forum, in collaboration with the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN), has distributed a publication on GLBT history to over three thousand high school Gay/Straight Alliances (GSAs). The 48-page Commemorative Program from Equality Forum’s National Celebration of the start of the gay and lesbian civil rights movement includes photos and bios of the Gay Pioneers and 40 Heroes of the last 40 years who have helped lead the GLBT civil rights movement.

“There is virtually no public school and few universities that teach gay history. We have a responsibility to provide the next generation with information about our civil rights history and its leaders,” stated Malcolm Lazin, Executive Director of Equality Forum. “We thank Ron Ansin for underwriting this project and GLSEN for collaborating with Equality Forum.”

Equality Forum is a national GLBT organization that coordinated the 40th anniversary celebration at Independence Hall on May 1, 2005. The first organized and annual gay and lesbian civil rights demonstrations occurred on July 4, 1965, at this same historic locale. In July 2005, as a result of Equality Forum’s application, the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission installed an official Historical Marker next to Independence Hall and Liberty Bell designating this spot as where the first gay and lesbian civil rights demonstrations occurred.

Equality Forum, in collaboration with PBS affiliate WHYY, produced Gay Pioneers, a documentary film about these early demonstrations from 1965 to 1969, prior to the Stonewall uprising. The Advocate named Gay Pioneers its 2004 “Best of the Year” film. With a gift from Andy Tobias and in collaboration with GLSEN, Equality Forum distributed copies of Gay Pioneers to 2,650 GSAs in 2004.

Gay Pioneers (www.gaypioneers.com) and the 40th Anniversary Commemorative Program are available at www.equalityforum.com.

ABOUT EQUALITY FORUM

Equality Forum is a national nonprofit and 501(c)(3) GLBT organization headquartered in Philadelphia. Equality Forum undertakes high impact initiatives, produces documentary films, highlights GLBT history and presents annually the largest national and international GLBT civil rights forum.

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