Continuing the Work of Rodney Wilson Beyond LGBTQ History Month

Rodney Wilson is the high school teacher credited with creating Gay History Month (later to become LGBTQ History Month) and is the subject of the film Taboo Teaching currently on Revry. 

Wilson shared his story in a history lesson style format with the Yahoo LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group (Prism) which aims to be inclusive and supportive of their LGBTQ employees  He shared his real life experience during the 90’s as a teacher who came out to his class, later the world and told in the documentary Taboo Teaching streaming on Revry. 

In 1994, as a teacher at Mehlville High School in suburban St. Louis, Wilson came out to his history class during a lesson about the Holocaust. If he had lived in Germany during World War II, he explained, he likely would have been imprisoned and murdered by the Nazis for being gay.

In the discussion he set the scene of what it was like to be a teacher in the 90s and his decision to come out in the context of a history lesson. Wilson described how he felt a responsibility and an obligation to be the one leading by example. If he were to succeed it would lead to a victory not only for him, but for all teachers. 

Wilson also shed light on why he chose October for LGBTQ history month. The reason was twofold. The first was in honor and commemorating the first Gay Rights March on Washington, DC. The second was that October falls within the traditional school year, which makes it perfect for teaching in schools. 

Rodney finished the session saying that there was still work to be done for school boards to enshrine policy to protect teachers and others. And for congress to pass the Equality Act to cement sexual orientation, gender identity and expressions as protected classes.