This resource  looks at experiences of LGBTQ+ Americans, focusing on the 20th century and after: how their differences have been accepted or rejected by society, and the extent to which they have shared in the rights and opportunities afforded to straight Americans. The United States has always been a very diverse society, albeit dominated by straight white men of Western European descent.  In many ways, American history is largely about how the US as a country has dealt with this diversity and with human difference, and that continues to be the case today.   This resource thus seeks to inform contemporary debate, to help students and adults understand that variations in gender and sexuality are part of the human condition that should be more widely discussed and understood. And that these differences do not provide a basis for denying these Americans the American promise of full legal equality and opportunity without discrimination.  

This module will look at experiences of LGBTQ+ Americans: how their differences have been accepted or rejected by society, and the extent to which they have shared in the rights and opportunities afforded to straight Americans. The United States has always been a very diverse society, albeit dominated by straight white men of Western European descent.  In many ways, American history is largely about how we as a country have dealt with this diversity and with human difference, and that continues to be the case today.    This module thus seeks to inform contemporary debate, to help students understand that variations in gender and sexuality are part of the human condition that should be more widely discussed and understood. And that these differences do not provide a basis for denying these Americans the American promise of full legal equality and opportunity without discrimination.  

One of the greatest tennis players of all time and a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient for her advocacy for women in sports and LGBTQ rights, Billie Jean King won 39 Grand Slam titles in her tennis career and led the fight for equal pay in tennis.

This resource is from a collection of biographies of famous women. It is provided by the National Women's History Museum, and may include links to supplemental materials including lesson plans about the subject and related topics, links to related biographies, and "works cited" pages. The biographies are sponsored by Susan D. Whiting.

The “Own It!” Handbook for Adults & Teens is a step-by-step guide to a fourteen topic after-school program, such as a Boys & Girls Club, or an adult Community Building group. For adults, it seeks to bridge divides and  explore what Americans have in common. For teens, it is a transformative after-school, trauma-informed enrichment program. It nurtures academic skills, personal growth and leadership. For all, it uses history to connect our past to our future, as part of the Own Your History® (OYH) Collection. Our inheritances from family history and the American experience provide the starting point for our personal journeys.  Our individual stories are part of a complex American history. We each can choose consciously to write our life story and work for a greater future. Own It! is not “school” but enhances students’ engagement in being creative, making things happen, and  achieving goals. Its mission is to help them step up and enrich their lives, especially by understanding that they live in history.