Best-selling author Joe Chianakas will speak at Illinois Valley Community College at 12:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 20, as part of LGBTQ+ History Month activities, according to a news release from IVCC.

Chianakas is the author of a series of popular young-adult novels: “Unveiling Aiden,” “Darkness Calls” and “Rabbit in Red.”

Copies of “Singlets and Secrets,” a book in the “Aiden” series, will be available at the presentation at the Jacobs Library Active Learning Space, according to the release.

Chianakas, a professor of communication at Illinois Central College in East Peoria, is recognized for his advocacy within the LGBTQ+ community, according to the release. He will share stories about his experiences and his inspiration, as well as motivational stories about the power of persistence, community and pride.

The public is welcome to attend the free presentation, which the IVCC Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee and the Gender and Sexuality Alliance will sponsor.