Academic calendars for school districts nationwide recognize Black History, Women’s History and Latino Heritage months to raise cultural awareness on campuses. Absent from most calendars, however, is GLBT History Month, celebrated in October.

At least 10 San Diego County school districts informally polled by the Gay & Lesbian Times do not recognize GLBT History month on academic calendars, and in the wake of backlash faced by a Philadelphia school district, other districts may hesitate to include it.

Last year, The School District of Philadelphia marked 200,000 calendars with “Gay and Lesbian History Month” and distributed them to students, faculty and administration. The decision didn’t last long, though. After a number of protests, the district decided to remove all celebratory months from its calendars for the 2007-2008 academic school year.

“There was a misconception and outcry by some parents who didn’t understand the real reason that the month was recognized by the district,” said Daryl Presgraves, the media relations manager for GLSEN, or the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network, the leading national education organization focused on ensuring safe schools for all students.

“It was simply an attempt for the district to be more inclusive by listing the LGBT community on the calendar. There was no district-wide curriculum or directive to teachers stating that curriculums had to include LGBT history,” he said, explaining that presumably individual teachers and schools can plan their own agenda.

Presgraves said the district’s decision to remove all cultural celebratory months and only allow academic dates was a “knee-jerk” reaction.

“At least that way they were spreading intolerance equally,” he added.

But according to Cecilia Cummings, a spokesperson for the Philadelphia school district, “It was an issue that the community was not ready to deal with in a safe way for kids.”

“It was a very shameful period for the district, as parents and adults berated students at meetings where they discussed the topic,” she said, noting the district “retreated from the agony of the issue.”

The district’s interim CEO, Thomas Brady, supports the decision to eliminate the monthly designations. While Brady believes that people should be treated “fairly and equitably,” the administrator does not plan to actively crusade for GLBT students, nor does he support special programs for GLBT students.

But recent studies have shown that programs for GLBT students at schools are proof that youth are showing a desire to make schools safer.

Secondary institutions that have Gay-Straight Alliances (GSA) provide a more positive learning environment for GLBT students than schools that don’t, according to a GLSEN study released last month. The study found that the students in GSA schools are less likely to hear homophobic remarks and slurs in the classroom than students in non-GSA schools.

It also found that GSAs affect classroom performance. GLBT students enrolled in schools with GSAs are prone to feel safer and thereby miss fewer classes. Fifty-two percent of students in schools with a GSA said that the faculty, staff, and administrators are supportive of GLBT pupils.

Still, while GLBT History Month may not appear on school calendars locally, there are at least 35 registered GSAs in San Diego County.

Student activists involved with the GSA at Mission Bay High School (MBHS) are bridging the gap between GLBT students and the straight majority, by raising awareness on campus throughout the month of October.

“The kids have really been doing a great job taking a leadership role to heighten awareness and to let others know that LGBT students exist on campus,” said Lisa Littlefield, the GSA faculty advisor who helped revitalize the club at MBHS last year.

Littlefield, a straight ally and daughter of a lesbian, understands the importance of creating a safe space where teens can be open and feel accepted.

“It’s just so important for teenagers to be comfortable enough with who they are so that they can become active in whatever community they relate to,” she said, noting she “sometimes faces more resistance about the club from administrators than students.”

Shynna Cruz, a 17-year-old senior at MBHS, who is currently the GSA president, has witnessed first-hand the benefits of heightened multicultural awareness on campus.

She said there are fewer negative remarks heard from students who in the past may have bullied others for being gay.

“That has all changed because the club has brought awareness to others. It allows students to realize it is okay to be gay. And the GSA offers the chance for others to see that we are normal people just like everyone else.”

Cruz said that she has not faced much criticism from other students for being open about her sexuality and being involved with the GSA.

“Of course there are still some comments in the background, but they are easily ignored. The GSA allows us to come together to talk about such issues and discuss ways of dealing with them,” she said.

The club is not just for gay and lesbian students, but also for bisexuals and those who may be questioning their sexuality in their teen years, as well as straight allies.

“While we talk about the difficulties gay teens face growing up, several of the issues affect everybody,” explained Gamarish Garcia, a 17-year old MBHS senior who is a GSA member.

Garcia said that being a part of the organization allows her to build a bridge between the GLBT and straight communities and help educate others about diversity.

“When I’m wearing my GSA T-shirt on campus, kids ask me what the club is all about and I start talking to them about it. Then they ask me why I belong or if I am in fact gay. I respond with, ‘I’m not necessarily gay; I was just raised by lesbians.’ And they are cool with it,” she said.

Today, on National Coming Out Day, the GSA will host an information booth on the MBHS campus, providing students with information and statistics, as well as answering any questions they have. Throughout the month, GSA members will also be handing out information cards with facts about GLBT teen suicide rates, as well as tips for discussing issues with family.

Additionally, the group participated in AIDS Walk San Diego a couple of weeks ago and also took a trip to the unofficial Gay Days at Disneyland.

“Being able to become involved and participate in such activities is a lot of fun,” Garcia said. “I found [Gay Days] to be very exciting. Not because it was Disneyland, but because we saw gays and lesbians being comfortable walking around holding hands just like they should be any time of the year.”