| LGBTQ+ HISTORY MONTH |
LGBTQ+ History Month occurs every October to recognize the history and achievements of the LGBTQ+ community and individuals. Find resources in this guide to learn more about LGBTQ+ history.
An extensive resource for icons of LGBTQ+ history. Every October, they share the biographies of 31 individuals who made history in all areas of LGBTQ+ life and community.
| RANDY SHILTS |
Randy Shilts was an American journalist and author who wrote primary about LGBTQ+ current events, struggles, and history. Most notably, he worked for the San Francisco Chronicle, being hired as not only the newspaper's first openly gay employee, but that of any mainstream American newspaper. He wrote extensively about the AIDS epidemic, which brought awareness of the crisis to the American public. His worked earned him many accolades, including the Outstanding Author Award from the American Society of Journalists and Authors in 1988 and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists' Association in 1993.
Paddock, Richard C. & Jenifer Warren. "Randy Shilts, Chronicler of AIDS Epidemic, Dies at 42: Journalism: Author of 'And the Band Played On' is credited with awakening nation to the health crisis." The Los Angeles Times, 18 Feb. 1994, https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-02-18-mn-24467-story.html. Accessed 30 September, 2024.
Upcoming Local Events: "When the Band Played On" with author Michael Lee
Join the NVC Pride Learning Community for two free events with author Michael Lee on his new book, When the Band Played On: The Life of Randy Shilts, America's Trailblazing Gay Journalist.
Date: Thursday, October 10th
Meet the Author
Time: 12:45 PM
Location: River Trail Village, Building 3 Community Room
Conversation and Q&A with the Author
Time: 7:00 PM
Location: New Technology High School, 920 Yount Street, Napa
Event Flier
Books and Media
When the Band Played On by 
An investigative account of the medical, sexual, and scientific questions surrounding the spread of AIDS across the country.
Harvey Milk's personal and political life is a story full of personal tragedies and political intrigues, assassinations at City Hall, massive riots in the streets, the miscarriage of justice, and the consolidation of gay power and gay hope.
Interviews with more than one thousand gay servicepeople highlight an investigation into the presence and treatment of homosexuals in the military
Stream the dramatization of Randy Shilts' best seller chronicling the early years of the AIDS epidemic, when a handful of individuals fought indifference, prejudice, ignorance and politics to battle a deadly epidemic that would soon change the face of the world.
| LGBTQ+ LIBRARY COLLECTION |
To support the LGBT Program, students, and studies at NVC, PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) of the North Bay donated the library's LGBTQ+ Collection. In this collection you can find books on the history, experience, and culture of LGBTQ+ identity and life in America and beyond.
Books in the LGBTQ+ Collection
Read this first
To see all the books in the collection, 1. Open the link, 2. Select "More Search Options" and under Collections select "LGBTQ+ Collection," then "set search options," 3. Enter an asterisk * (or keywords) in the search bar and press "Go!" or enter on your keyboard.
| NVC LGBTQ+ PRIDE CENTER |
Join the NVC LGBTQ+ Pride Center in-person and/or online!
In-person: The new physical Pride Center is located in room 1014, on the bottom floor of the 1000 building. This space will officially open with the start of the fall semester on August 26, 2024. The Pride Center will typically be open on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 11AM to 2PM. Students and staff may drop in during these times except for when the space is being used for Pride Club meetings, trainings, or other reserved uses.
Online: Join the online community on Canvas! Current students, simply go to https://napavalley.instructure.com/enroll/9MXAKT to instantly "enroll."
| THE MATTHEW SHEPARD AND JAMES BYRD, JR. HATE CRIMES PREVENTION ACT OF 2009 |
*Trigger Warning: Mention of violence against LGBTQ+ persons*
This October marks the 15th anniversary of the signing of the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act Of 2009. The Act is in part named after Matthew Shepard, an out college student at the University of Wyoming who in 1998 was beaten and left to die by two local roofers pretending to be gay (Hoffman). Shepard was found the next day in a coma and taken to the hospital. The story was brought to mainstream news, and for five days the public held vigil until Shepard sadly passed from his injuries.
Although Shepard was not the first, or unfortunately the last, victim of an anti-LGBTQ+ motivated crime, his attack and death led many public figures to question whether a crime motivated by the victim's sexual or gender identity could be considered a hate crime. Discourse was slow, but in 2009, President Obama signed the act to add, among other things, a crime against a person because of their actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity to be a hate crime.
Resources:
