By Hal, Rainbow Services Librarian
Did you know? Illinois is one of only six states with an inclusive curriculum bill that ensures students in public schools learn about LGBTQ+ and their contributions as part of their history curriculum.
In their most recent published survey results (pdf), GLSEN found that inclusive curriculums have a positive impact on the safety and mental health of LGBTQ+ students. Students at schools with inclusive curriculums were less likely to hear homophobic and transphobic remarks, had lower levels of victimization, and were less likely to miss school.
You can celebrate Pride and help make Oak Park a more supportive and inclusive community by learning about LGBTQ+ people and history with the young people in your life.
Learn about influential LGBTQ+ people
LGBTQ+ people around the world and throughout history have made significant contributions as athletes, artists, scientists, and activists.
- Glenn Burke (1952-1995), a Major League Baseball player for the Los Angeles Dodgers, co-invented the high five.
- Ma Rainey (1882-1939) is called the “Mother of Blues,” because she was one of the first musicians to record a blues song.
- Alberto Santos-Dumont (1873-1932) was an inventor who made huge steps in the development of aircrafts. He was the first person to fly a heavier-than-air aircraft in public.
- Sylvia Rivera (1951-2002) devoted her life to fighting for LGBTQ+ rights and speaking out about the impact of violence and discrimination.
Want to learn more about these revolutionaries and other influential LGBTQ+ people? Check out Rainbow Revolutionaries by Sarah Prager and log in with your Oak Park library card and PIN to explore their biographies with Gale in Context: Biography.
Read these books
- Sylvia and Marsha Start a Revolution by Joy Michael Ellison
- Generation Brave by Kate Alexander
- Rainbow Revolutionaries by Sarah Prager
- Queer Heroes by Arabelle Sicardi
- This Little Rainbow by Joan Holub
- People of Pride by Chase Clemesha
- Pride: An Inspirational History of the LGBTQ+ Movement by S. A. Caldwell
- Pride: The Celebration and the Struggle by Robin Stevenson
- If You’re a Kid Like Gavin by Gavin Grimm
- Kind Like Marsha by Sarah Prager
- A Song for the Unsung by Carole Boston Weatherford & Rob Sanders
- When You Look out the Window by Gayle E. Pitman
- Drawing on Walls by Matthew Burgess
- A Portrait in Poems by Evie Robillard
Test your knowledge & learn as you go with these trivia tutorials
New! LGBTQ+ history trivia
Read Rainbow Revolutionaries by Sarah Prager and then test your knowledge about influential LBGTQ+ athletes, artists, scientists, and activists with this trivia game; click the play button to get started!
Pride flag trivia
Do you know what all the colors in the Pride flag mean? Do you know which identities the flags in our display represent? Test your knowledge with our virtual trivia game; click the play button to get started!
About Hal
Hal is a children’s librarian who specializes in serving LGBTQ+ young people and their allies. He is passionate about identity exploration through collaborative storytelling and imaginative play.
