#20231108-4 WEBINAR: Using LGBTQ History to Support LGBTQ Kids

Description

(November 2023) Using LGBTQ History to Support LGBTQ Kids

In this workshop, we will learn a bit about LGBTQ history and how it can be used to support kids who may be struggling with their identity. Part of the importance of learning about LGBTQ history is understanding that LGBTQ people have always existed. As I’m sure many adoptees know, it can be very isolating to feel like you lack a community who understands your struggles. Through LGBTQ history, we can connect with LGBTQ people who have come before us, and we can also equip ourselves with language to explain our identities. Additionally, history can help LGBTQ youth feel more confident in themselves in a society that may sometimes be hostile towards them.

In this workshop we don’t just want to talk about the struggles our community has faced, though. It’s equally important to know that LGBTQ identity can be a joyous thing, and differing sexualities and genders have historically been celebrated in various societies. Through examples of historical figures, we can learn about how our identities give us unique perspectives and strengths.

The hope for this workshop is that it will encourage open dialogue between parents and children about identity and how parents can provide support to their children.

Kristen Datta first became interested in LGBTQ history in 2015, when she started working at the University of Minnesota’s Tretter Collection in GLBT Studies, one of the world’s largest collections of LGBTQ archival materials. She has worked with the Tretter Collection in various capacities over the years and has had the opportunity to study many of the archive’s holdings, with particular attention to the Gay Liberation Movement of the 1970’s. Kristen is a former middle school teacher and also spent some time living in Japan, where she participated in the 2019 Tokyo Pride Parade, making connections with queer scholars in Japan. Recently, she moved to Washington, DC to pursue graduate museum studies at the George Washington University. While there, she is also working with the Capital Jewish Museum to create an upcoming exhibit about LGBTQ Jewish history. The exhibit will focus on LGBTQ Jewish people, along with conflicts and partnerships between the LGBTQ community and the Jewish community in Washington, DC.

Watch time: 61 minutes

Eligible Certificate of Completion time: 60 minutes