Pride Month (June) |
June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month!
It’s time to celebrate the important milestones, cultural achievements, influence and history of the LBGTQ+ community. It's also time to draw awareness, and strengthen efforts to correct the ongoing prejudices, violence and social inequities these groups endure.
Be proactive! Keep scrolling to learn about the history of Pride Month, read about historical and current injustices, find new ways to pay tribute to the LGBTQ+ community, and explore other activities to expand your understanding toward equality and social inclusion.
What is LGBTQ+?
The following terms are defined by gaycenter.org, a resource center for a for all things LGBTQ+
- LESBIAN - A woman whose is physically, romantically, and/or emotionally attraction is to other women. Some lesbians may prefer to identify as gay.
- GAY - The adjective used to describe people whose enduring physical, romantic, and/or emotional attractions are to people of the same sex. Sometimes lesbian is the preferred term for women.
- BISEXUAL - A person who has the capacity to form enduring physical, romantic, and/or emotional attractions to those of the same gender or to those of another gender. People may experience this attraction in differing ways and degrees over their lifetime. Bisexual people need not have had specific sexual experiences to be bisexual; in fact, they need not have had any sexual experience at all to identify as bisexual.
- TRANSGENDER - An umbrella term for people whose gender identity and/or gender expression differs from what is typically associated with the sex they were assigned at birth. Many transgender people are prescribed hormones by their doctors to bring their bodies into alignment with their gender identity. Some undergo surgery as well. But not all transgender people can or will take those steps, and a transgender identity is not dependent upon physical appearance or medical procedures.
- QUEER - An adjective used by some people whose sexual orientation is not exclusively heterosexual. Typically, for those who identify as queer, the terms lesbian, gay, and bisexual are perceived to be too limiting and/or fraught with cultural connotations they feel don’t apply to them. Once considered a derogatory term, queer has been reclaimed by some LGBTQ people to describe themselves; however, it is not a universally accepted term even within the LGBTQ community.
- QUESTIONING - Sometimes, when the Q is seen at the end of LGBT, it can also mean Questioning. This term describes someone who is questioning their sexual orientation or gender identity.
The remaining summarized terms are defined by translanguageprimer.org, an organization that has compiled useful definitions that help the community; and medical, mental health, and social professionals create awareness and understanding of gender terminology.
- ASEXUAL - A person who does not experience sexual attraction. Asexuality is a sexual orientation and is different from celibacy. An asexual individual may choose to engage in sexual behaviors for various reasons even while not experiencing sexual attraction. Asexuality is an identity and sexual orientation; it is not a medical condition. Sexual attraction is not necessary for a person to thrive.
- INTERSEXUAL - Is a general term for a person born with any manner of “ambiguous” reproductive or sexual anatomy that doesn't seem to fit typical female or male physical characteristics. This can include reproductive organs, genitals, hormones, chromosomes, or any combination thereof.
- PANSEXUAL - A sexual orientation, where the individual has the capacity to be attracted to any person of any gender identity or sexual orientation. The "pan" is a Greek prefix that means "all" and is often used to be inclusive of all genders and gender fluidity.
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A brief history & Purpose of the Observance of Pride Month
Pride traditions have been celebrated since 1970 and began as a way to honor the Manhattan Stonewall Uprising of 1969, a pivotal event for the Gay Liberation Movement. In the United States, the last Sunday in June was initially celebrated as "Gay Pride Day," but the “day” soon grew across the nation to a month-long series of celebrations and events.
According to the Library of Congress, it wasn't until June 11, 1999, that President Clinton issued Proclamation No. 7203 (PDF) recognizing Gay and Lesbian Pride Month. He acknowledged the mistreatment of the gay and lesbian community and proclaimed that, "the events of the Stonewall Uprising marked the birth of the modern gay and lesbian civil rights movement..." Ten years later on June 1, 2009, Proclamation No. 8387 (PDF) was issued by President Obama for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month. In this proclamation the president paid tribute to the work of the LGBTQ+ community that promoted equal rights to all regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. President Obama asked the people of the United States to "turn back discrimination and prejudice everywhere it exists."
Today, Pride Month is celebrated with events including parades, art exhibits, workshops, symposiums and concerts that attract millions of participants worldwide. Memorials for members of the community who have been lost to hate crimes or AIDS are also held during Pride Month. The purpose of Pride Month is to affirm all that the community has accomplished in their work toward equality, to recognize the historic impact that LGBTQ+ individuals have had in the fight for social inclusion and basic civil rights, and (in parallel to the Black Lives Matter movement) to further pressurize the on-going battle against systemic discrimination, including police brutality.
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IN strength & solidarity, an international gay rights movement was born at The Stonewall Uprising
The Stonewall Uprising was a five day confrontation between police and gay rights activists, considered to be the catalyst of a new generation of political activism and the birth the international gay rights movement.
In 1969 the encouragement of homosexuality was an illegal act in virtually all major cities across the United States. Regardless of legality, gay bars offered refuge where homosexual individuals could feel relatively safe from public harassment. However, these establishments were under threat of law enforcement at any given moment.
On June 28, 1969, the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village was subject to one such police raid for reportedly selling alcohol without a license. Law enforcement entered the bar in the early hours of the morning and arrested the employees and brutalized patrons, even arresting some for “not wearing at least three articles of gender-appropriate clothing.”
This was the third raid in that area in a short period. The prior raids ended with patrons passively retreating in fear but this time the people did not retreat. The tumultuous crowd of 400-strong began to throw objects and pushed back officers into the bar. Police reinforcement arrived in time to extinguish a fire that the crowd had set on the bar and disperse the crowd however, the protests continued in waves over the next five days.
After the uprising, Britannica states, “Acceptance and respect from the establishment were no longer being humbly requested but angrily and righteously demanded.” This new resistance helped to educate the masses and began to work toward ending discriminatory practices in government policies. The event and new-found strength and solidarity birthed a plethora of new gay rights organizations.
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Gay & Proud Footage of the first Pride Movement in 1970
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Laws & Policy
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Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage: A Timeline per State
Georgetown University has put together a timeline of the legalization of same-sex marriage in the United States. From 1970, when a same-sex couple was denied a marriage license and took their case to the Supreme Court, to 2015 when same-sex marriage became legal in all 50 states.
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Executive Order 13087 - expanding equal opportunity employment in the Federal government by prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation
In 1998, President Clinton issued Executive Order 13087 (PDF), an amendment to Executive Order 11478, requiring the federal government to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation.
On June 11 the following year, President Clinton issued Proclamation No. 7203 (PDF) for Gay and Lesbian Pride Month.
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Inclusivity in the Workplace
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Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Workplace Issues: Quick Take
Covers a broad range of questions pertinent to gaining more insights about the LGBTQ+ community.
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Preparing for Parity - the lack of LGBTQ+Women in the workplace
An organization’s LGBTQ+ network is not the proxy or arbiter for the entirety of the organization’s ‘out’ LGBTQ+ people. However, having this awareness does not explain or justify why the damaging visible gender imbalance exists, nor does it encourage the opportunity to debate, challenge and ultimately change what seems to be accepted as ‘the norm’ for the representation of gender in LGBTQ+ spaces.
Be Proactive!
7 Ways to Celebrate Pride Month
1) Explore LGBTQ+ History in the U.S.
- We suggest starting with, "A Timeline of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender History in the United States."
2) Attend an Event
- Participate in Pride Month Events in your local area throughout June. Check out a webinar or attend a pride parade!
3) Patronize an LGBTQ+ Owned Business
- Support an LGBTQ+ owned business near you! Put your money directly back into the community by purchasing your celebration gear locally.
4) Be Supportive!
- Familiarize yourself with the struggles of the LGBTQ+ community and the resources available to help those who may need them. Here are a few resources to start with (most are local to CNY):
The LGBTQ Resouce Center of Syracuse University ⎮ National LGBTQ Chamber of Congress. ⎮ Gay Friendly Therapists in Syracuse, NY ⎮ Sage Upstate NY
5) Learn about LGBTQ+ Art and Artists
- Check out The Art Story.org. to learn about the lives and work by LGBTQ+ identified artists and find artwork associated with LGBTQ+ topics.
6) Participate in a Equity Challenge
- Take the Central New York Business Equity Pledge right now!
7) Spread Awareness
- Use social media to call attention to the achievements, influence and history of the LGBTQ+ community in the United States. Encourage people to stand together against anti-LGBTQ+ hate. Use the suggestions below for ways to make a bigger impact with your posts.
#HASHTAGS
Spread awareness to the masses with hashtags. Don't limit the reach of your social media posts to just your followers, add a hashtag to your content so your message is accessible to all. Here are a few we suggest for LGBTQ+:
#PrideMonth #LoveIsLove #LGBTQ+Pride #LGBTQIAP+Pride #StopLGBTQ+Hate
