CARBONDALE – The founder of LGBTQ+ History Month is coming to SIU Carbondale as part of university’s monthlong celebration in October.

With the theme of “Reclaiming Queer History,” it is a special year as SIU marks the 20th anniversary of commemorating LGBTQ+ History Month on campus and the 30th national anniversary of the month, according to Juniper Oxford, coordinator of the LGBTQ Resource Center.

“We are particularly excited to reveal many of our future goals of the LGBTQ Resource Center, share in discussions about reclaiming queer history both on campus and in the local community, and welcome Rodney Wilson to our campus as our keynote,” Oxford said.

“Wilson is the creator of LGBTQ+ History Month and the first out high school teacher in the state of Missouri. It’s not just about being here and being queer but also showing that we have been here and have always been around. Our LGBTQ+ campus community is brimming with excitement about these upcoming events; we have something nearly every day of the month this year. Every ally on campus and in our local community is not only welcome but encouraged to show up and support.”

Wilson will speak at 3 p.m. Oct. 18 in the Student Center Auditorium. Refreshments will follow in the International Lounge.

In 1994, Wilson came out to his students at Mehlville High School in the metro St. Louis area while teaching a history lesson about the Holocaust. Then just in his 20s, he explained that if he had lived in Germany during World War II, he would have been imprisoned and killed by the Nazis for being gay. He was nearly fired afterward, but the strong and fast outcry received coverage on national media outlets, including Dateline NBC, Newsweek and the Ricki Lake Show. The short documentary “Taboo Teaching” tells Wilson’s story.

Find additional information, including the complete schedule of events, on the website for the LGBTQ Resource Center, which is a unit of the Student Multicultural Resource Center.