Last Updated on May 29, 2025
We should be inclusive of LGBTQ stories and experiences in our classrooms all year round, but especially during LGBTQ+ History Month in October and Pride Month in June.
June is Pride Month, which is held each year to honor the June 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan, an event that kicked off the movement for gay rights in the United States. Pride Month was celebrated nationally for the first time in 1999 under President Bill Clinton. It is a time to celebrate the contributions of LGBTQ+ individuals, bear witness to their history, and take action in fighting for liberation and equality.
Why Teach LGBTQ+ Podcast Stories
Queer history has included oppression and violence, and has been driven toward liberation by the work of many activists and allies, some of whom lost their lives in the battle for civil rights. Listenwise has curated middle school and high school-level LGBTQ+ Stories collections that educators can use, along with the resources below, to help students learn more about this community’s experiences. By listening to LGBTQ+ podcast stories, students may feel more connected to and accepting of their own identities, develop a deeper consciousness and understanding of shared histories, and feel empowered to serve as allies.
Listenwise LGBTQ+ Podcast Stories
LGBTQ+ Rights and Recognition
- Navy Ship Named After LGBTQ Leader Harvey Milk
- First Active NFL Player to Come Out as Gay
- First Openly Transgender Federal Officer Appointed
- Supreme Court Decision Protects LGBTQ Workers
- Stonewall and AIDS Activism
- Forgotten Civil Rights Activist
- Pope Endorses LGBTQ Civil Unions
- Supreme Court Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage
- Kid News: Harvey Milk Inspired Activism
Identity, Language, and Representation
Stories focused on our evolving understandings of identity, the role of language in reflecting diversity, and how diverse identities are portrayed in media and culture.
- Superheroes Highlight Diverse Sexual Identities
- Megan Rapinoe Reflects on Her Life
- Singular “They” Enters the Dictionary
- Pronouns for All
- Identity Across Generations
- Debate: Should the Spanish Language Be Gender Neutral?
- Gender and Diversity in Comics
Social Issues & Cultural Impact
Stories focused on broad societal issues and their historical context.
- Debate: Should Penalties for Homophobic Slurs Be Stronger?
- Looking Back on Bullying
- 13 Reasons Why Not
- A Safe Place for Homeless Teens
- A Secret Shelf of Banned Books
- What Science Says about Transgender Athletes
- Debate: Should High Testosterone Disqualify Female Athletes?
Other Teaching Resources
- Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Pride Month from the Library of Congress
- Celebrate LGBTQ Pride Month from Learning for Justice
- LGBTQ History and Why It Matters– from Facing History and Ourselves
- Teaching the Missing History of LGBTQ Civil Rights from Facing History and Ourselves
- The Trevor Project – Suicide Crisis Line for LGBTQ+ Youth
- Making Gay History
- A Teacher’s Guide to Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity Terms
- The ABCS of LGBTQIA+
- Pronouns Matter
- History Unerased – LGBTQ+ inclusive US history curriculum
