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LGBTQIA2S+ History Month

Macalester College welcomes and honors our LGBTQIA2S+ community and their continuously resilient strides in transforming our spaces towards inclusion and equity. 

LGBTQIA2S+ History Month was created in 1994 when Rodney Wilson, a Missouri high school history teacher, felt that a specific month was needed to teach and celebrate LGBTQIA2S+ history. In 1995, the General Assembly of the National Education Association selected the month of October to commemorate LGBTQIA2S+ History Month. October was intentionally chosen since the academic year would be in session and to coincide with other traditions such as the first National Coming Out Day (Oct. 11, 1987) and the inaugural National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights (Oct. 14, 1979). 

During this time, Macalester College invites our community to learn about LGBTQIA2S+ history, center the stories of intersectional queer identities, and engage in meaningful and intentional action to support our LGBTQIA2S+ community. 

Please note that the events below are organized by different organizations and departments at Macalester. Use the links below for further information, or contact the event host with questions.

Lavender Community Luncheon

Tue., Oct. 3 | 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. | Kagin Ballroom
Hosted by: Institutional Equity | [email protected]

In honor of LGBTQIA2S+ History Month, Institutional Equity invites our LGBTQIA2S+ students, staff, faculty, and alumni to a luncheon! This will be an opportunity to engage in community and build meaningful connections across campus.

RSVP is not required but encouraged to ensure dietary restrictions are met.

Qmmunity Connections: HallowQueen Makeup Workshop

Mon., Oct. 16 | 5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. | Gender & Sexuality Commons (Kagin 18)
Hosted by: Qmmunity Connections | Mads Clark ([email protected])

With the holiday being one of the few opportunities for people to play with gender expression and express themselves freely, Halloween is often a favorite holiday amongst many Queer folks.

Whether you’re unfamiliar with celebrating Halloween and looking to get inspiration for your fierce costume, or just looking for a fun time in playing with make-up, join drag artist Gemini Valentine as they teach a workshop in creating a Halloween-worthy make-up look. Bring your own make-up kit if you have one, we will have extras for you to use if needed!

Please RSVP here. All make-up experience levels welcome!

Intersections of Queerness & Religion

Week of Oct. 16 | 7 p.m. – 8 p.m. | Weyerhaeuser Memorial Chapel – 117
Hosted by: Institutional Equity & the Center for Religious and Spiritual Life | [email protected]

Full event details will be updated.

Fireside Chat & Dinner with Transforming Generations

Mon., Oct. 23 | 5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. | Weyerhaeuser Memorial Chapel – 117
Dinner RSVP
Hosted by: Institutional Equity | [email protected]

Take a break from studying and join Institutional Equity for a fireside chat and dinner (Union, Hmong Kitchen) with Transforming Generations, a local Twin Cities non-profit dedicated to providing service and support to Hmong and Southeast Asian youth who are queer identifying and/or experiencing gender-based violence. Their services include queer justice programming, youth programming, holistic healing, community awareness, training and education.  

From Transforming Generations we will have: Xay Yang – Executive Director, Schoua Na Yang – Youth Organizing Coordinator, and Seng Xiong – Queer Justice Program Coordinator. Through storytelling, our panelists will share their stories, the history they have seen and experienced within the LGBT Hmong community and where we are headed.

Meet our panelist:

  • Xay Yang (She/Hers)
    • Xay Yang currently serves as the Executive Director at Transforming Generations, a non-profit organization located in St. Paul, MN. She is a licensed independent clinical social worker with 15 years of experience working with Hmong/Southeast Asian families impacted by domestic violence/sexual assault, organizing LGBTQ+ community members and supporting marginalized youth. Xay’s clinical experiences span across the board from providing school-based therapy, community-centered therapy, working with Hmong men with addiction, as well as providing mental health support and advocacy services for victims/survivors of domestic violence/sexual assault.  Aside from providing direct services, Xay has also facilitated healing circles locally and nationally, provided LGBTQ+ competency and culturally specific mental health trainings to service providers, school personnel and county staff. Xay currently provides mental health therapy for kids 0-5 and their caregivers (dyadic work), play therapy for children ages 6-13, talk therapy to people ages 14+, and provides education sessions for Hmong/Southeast Asian parents who are supporting their LGBTQ+ children. Xay is the recipient of the 2023 Lavender Magazine Community Award.
  • Schoua Na Yang (They/Them)
    • Schoua Na is the Youth Organizing Coordinator at Transforming Generations. They’ve launched the youth programs Adventure Time and HeartBeat for Hmong and Southeast Asian youth of all gender identities, ages 12-17 yrs old. Combining outdoor activities with life skill education on healthy relationships, boundaries, consent, and teen dating violence topics. Using media art to create stories and important messages through the lens of young people. Schoua Na provides youth advocacy support for students in middle and high school. They are passionate in uplifting youth voices and creating more inclusive space for Hmong and Southeast Asian youth.
  • Seng Xiong (They/Them)
    • Seng Xiong is a queer second-generation Hmong American artist and community advocate that resides in the Twin Cities. Currently, they serve as the Queer Justice Coordinator at Transforming Generations, a non-profit agency dedicated to ending gender-based violence in Hmong & Southeast Asian communities. They’ve helped to launch and oversee the organization’s LGBTQ+ support group, Sib Hlub Circle, that has been going on since the height of the pandemic for the past 2.5 years. In their work, Seng seeks to provide ongoing assistance for individuals in need of resources and support that revolve around coming out, gender exploration, family structures and intimate partner violence.

Redefining LGBTQIA2S+

Tue., Oct. 31 | 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. | Markim Hall – Davis Court
Lunch provided | RSVP Link *This workshop is at maximum capacity. Please contact [email protected] to be added to the waitlist.
Facilitated by Mads Clark, Associate Director of the Lealtad-Suzuki Center for Social Justice | [email protected]

In this workshop, we will break down the evolution of the acronym LGBTQIA2S+ and expand on what it means to redefine and reclaim language. Additional highlights can include a timeline of the people’s history of pivotal trans and queer historical events as well as unpacking the meaning behind pride flags.

For student-centered programming and spaces, please visit the Lealtad-Suzuki Center for Social Justice for more information about their Identity Collectives, Qmmunity Connections, and Tea Time. Follow their Instagram (@lsc_mac) for upcoming dates and times.

We also encourage you to explore the Gender & Sexuality Commons (GSC) in Kagin Commons 018 (lower-level).