School Board Votes to Support LGBT History Month

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The Broward County school board voted Wednesday to recognize October as LGBT History Month.

Next month is Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender History Month.

The Broward County School Board voted Wednesday to get behind the designation.

Now the district is being recognized nationally by the advocacy group Equality Forum as the first district in the nation to pass an official resolution in support.

School board member Nora Rupert told the Miami Herald, “We want to promote equality for all of our children.”

Mandi Hawke is the youth programs coordinator for SunServe, an LGBT advocacy group based in Fort Lauderdale.

“This particular resolution is really going to give them the freedom to talk openly, knowing their school board supports them.”

SunServe partners with Broward schools to help LGBT students who may be going through a hard time.

“The biggest issue, I think, is bullying,” Hawke said. “Fear of being open, not knowing which teachers will support them or not, or if they’re backed by the school.

“So I think this is a huge change that really does say ‘Broward Schools support you.’ There’s no questioning that now.”