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For the first time, the Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District board has designated October as LGBTQ+ History Month, a move intended to affirm its support of LGBTQ+ rights and to encourage the district community to learn about the contributions of LGBTQ+ people throughout history and in society.
The board voted 4-1 on Tuesday to approve the resolution, which drew more than 100 written comments from residents of Livermore and beyond, the majority of them supportive. Trustee Deena Kaplanis cast the dissenting vote.
“It’s important for us to welcome this broader conversation about our LGBTQ Americans and for the recognitions that we can give to our students, who I think in some situations do feel unsafe and left out,” trustee Emily Prusso said.
Most of those who spoke during public comment or submitted letters were in favor of the recognition, including Angela Brady, who is running for the Area 3 seat on the board in the Nov. 3 election.
She said seeing the school district acknowledge the history, contributions and experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals shows that community of students that they matter and are welcome.
“This resolution is not just about recognizing the past,” Brady said. “It’s about the kind of school community we want to build today and going forward.”
Lainie Pascall, a district parent and board member for PFLAG Tri Valley, said the resolution exists “because students asked for it.” She read sentiments previously shared by students with the local PFLAG chapter.
The students called the resolution “a meaningful opportunity to both educate and affirm queer students, staff and families.”
The letter noted that state law requires public schools to include the contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans in history and social studies classes.
“Yet we rarely learn about queer historical figures, people like astronaut Sally Ride or civil rights leader Bayard Rustin, unless our teachers feel safe and supported in doing so,” the students wrote.
“Adults may not realize that we are constantly looking for signals of safety,” they added. “We notice which teachers display our flag or wear a ‘You are safe’ pin, because those small symbols mean everything.”
They closed their statement with a plea to the board: “Support us. Help us learn our history and know that we belong.”
Among the 20 or so who opposed the resolution was Deborah Gibson, who is running against Brady in next month’s election for the Area 3 seat on the school board. In a letter, Gibson described the recognition as “exclusive and not inclusive.”
Cathryn Villasenor of Livermore agreed in her letter, which said recognizing LGBTQ+ History Month was exclusionary.
“Why would you want to alienate a big percentage of the students of Livermore?” she wrote.
The item was originally listed on the agenda as part of the board’s consent calendar, which is typically reserved for bulk approval of items deemed noncontroversial. However, Kaplanis asked to pull the item — and other proposed resolutions recognizing Character Education Month, Attendance Awareness Month, Red Ribbon Week, National Hispanic Heritage Month and Unity Day — for discussion.
The board ultimately took one vote on the LGBTQ+ History Month resolution and another on the other resolutions in bulk. Kaplanis was the lone dissenter for both.
She said she preferred one resolution to represent all students and that she was voting against an inconsistent process, where the celebration periods range from one day to a month.
“Part of being marginalized is not having a representative to come forward and speak on your behalf, so the groups most in need of recognition are the least likely to get it,” she said.
While Prusso voted in favor of the resolution, she said she agreed with Kaplanis that the district should have a clear and consistent policy for considering requests for resolutions about cultural, historical and educational observances.
Superintendent Tony Limoges agreed to work on “getting more of a procedure and protocol.”
LGBTQ+ History Month was created in 1994 by Missouri high school history teacher Rodney Wilson. The month was chosen to coincide with the first National March on Washington for lesbian and gay rights, which occurred in October 1979, and National Coming Out Day, which has been annually observed Oct. 11 since 1988, according to the district board agenda.
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