Diversity Awareness Month

Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual History Month

October was selected because the first and second Marches of Washington for lesbian and gay rights were held in this month in1979 and 1987.  National Coming Out Day (October 11) provided an additional reason for choosing this month. 

October is also “National Disability Employment Awareness Month”.  This began with the Presidential Proclamation of Public Law 100-630 (Title 111, Sec 301a) in 1988.  This law replaced National Employ the Handicapped Week, which had occurred annually since 1945 during the first week of October.  With the recognition of this new law in 1988 it also changed the  terminology and replaced “handicap” with “disability.”

October 11

National Coming Out Day is an international event, which gives gay, lesbian and bisexual people the opportunity to “come out” to others about their sexuality.  It also provides a means of increasing the visibility of gay people.  In the United States, the day is facilitated by the Human Rights Campaign’s National Coming Out Project (NCOP).  The first National Coming Out Day was held on October 11, 1988.

October 11

Columbus Day was first celebrated on October 12, 1792 to honor the day Christopher Columbus landed in the Bahamas in 1492.  One hundred years later, it was celebrated again at the urging of President Benjamin Harrison.  Since 1920, it has been celebrated annually and, in 1971, became a federal legal holiday to be celebrated on the second Monday in October.

October 31

Day Light Saving Time ends

In an effort to conserve resources for the efforts of World War I, Congress approved a law that altered each U.S. time zone’s standard time by moving clocks ahead by one hour.  The plan, known as Day Light Saving Time (DST) lasted only seven months and was very unpopular because most Americans at the time awoke earlier and went to bed later than we do now.  The law was eventually repealed.

In the early stages of World War II, Congress decided to return the country to DST in order to conserve energy.  During this period, the United State observed DST continuously from February 2, 1942 until September 30, 1945.

Following the war, states and municipalities were allowed to observe DST at their discretion.   In 1966 Congress enacted the Uniform Time Act.  The law simply states that if DST is going to be observed, it must be done in a uniform manner.  The Act established the beginning of DST as the last Sunday of April and the end of DST as the last Sunday of October.  In 1986, an amendment  (Public Law 99-359) to the Act changed the beginning date to the first Sunday in April.

States and territories who do not observe DST include Arizona, Hawaii, the Eastern Time Zone section of Indiana, American Samoa, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.

October 31   

Halloween is an annual festival, which takes place on October 31 and has its roots in pagan customs.  In ancient times, the Celtic new year, November 1, was preceded the night before by Samhain Eve.  The Celts believed that on the eve of Samhain, the spirits of the dead return to earth.

Later, when Christianity began to take hold many of the Celtic customs were adapted by Christians.  In the 800’s (C.E.) Pope Boniface IV established All Saint’s Day by modifying the pagan celebration of the dead into a celebration of the saints and martyrs of the Catholic Church.   This day was celebrated with the Allhollowmas and the night before was called All Hallow E’en.

credit: kumc.edu/diversity