We asked "What does LGBT History Month mean to you?"

October is LGBT History Month.

We asked nine people from across The Gayly region "What does LGBT History Month mean to you?" Here's what they said:

WICHITA: We remember the movers and shakers of the movement. Sadly, we forget those who we've lost; the hundreds of thousands lost to AIDS. The lives of people like Matthew Shepard. When we remember LGBTQ+ history, remember all of it. Not just the good stuff. – Brenda Way.

OKC: From the closets, we have come out proudly. With love, we offer hope to our youth. Yet we dream of a time when hate does not bully anyone. – Angie Pierce.

TULSA: What LGBT history means to me? What doesn't it mean. This month is for everyone to be lifted; to embrace a different side, if you will. To know it’s okay to be different if you’re a part of LGBT community or not. It’s for everyone to come together and learn from one another, past and new experiences. When I came out at 21, I felt misunderstood. I found comfort and hope in my community. Once I was happy being gay, I found I was transgender. If it weren’t for my LGBT community, I don't know where I would be. A lot of people paid the way so we could have things we do now. This month is as important to me as Black History Month. – Fox Chanell Paige.

FAYETTEVILLE: LGBT History Month means remembering the journey that we have all been on. From Stonewall to Act Up to Marriage Equality; from Harvey Milk to Matthew Shepherd to Pulse; from acceptance to welcoming to affirming. The journey has not been easy but the past gives me hope for the future. – Roy Lennington.

TULSA: LGTBQ History Month is a time to celebrate how far we’ve come and put the work we still need to do in the forefront. It’s also a time to learn about the battles people before us have fought and won. Let’s continue the fight and not take our achievements for granted. – Bonita James.

KC: October is LGBT History Month as well as National Coming Out Day. It is a time to celebrate who we are and how far we have come as individuals. We build a life of honesty and integrity living out our lives the way we were meant to be. It is a time to come together as a community, to work for the common good of all. – Randy Fowler

WICHITA: LGBTQ+ history, to me, means a pathway and a way to look back at all we have accomplished, and it gives us tools in the fights ahead. It's been a long road, but it's a look back, and a monument, to all that came before. – Evan Shaheen.

OKC: It means we get to remember people like Tech. Sgt. Leonard Malkovich. Who put his career on the line and came out, so that I and millions of other LGBT veterans and active duty people can serve openly, with pride! Rob Howard – Retired Major, USAF.

TULSA: It's more than just another month. It’s the time to recognize, celebrate, unify and regain strength from the work others have done and are working on. It’s time for reflection, rejoicing and recommitting. We recognize the individuals who fought for LGBTQ rights and protections who paved the way for all of us! We remember Stonewall, the AIDS epidemic and the Orlando massacre. – Jose Vega.