AROMANTIC SPECTRUM AWARENESS WEEK

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ASAW is annually marked on the first week following Valentine’s Day, the week is dedicated to both celebrating and raising awareness about Aromantic spectrum identities.

Originally Aromantic Awareness Week was first recognized in November 2014, however, the following year it was moved to late February and renamed to Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Week to be more inclusive.

 

PANSEXUAL PRIDE DAY

December 8, 2021

Pansexual Pride Day is the date dedicated to celebrating pansexuality. This date is different from Pansexual Visibility day on May 24th. Each year, December 8 marks Pansexual Pride Day

TRANSGENDER DAY OF REMEMBRANCE

November 20, 2021

The Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) was set aside to memorialize those who have been lost due to anti-transgender hatred or prejudice. The first candlelight vigil occurred in 1999.

TDOR provides us all an opportunity to publicly mourn and honor the trans lives lost in our community over the past year, in addition to helping raise awareness about hate crimes that the trans community experience daily.

TRANS PARENT DAY

November 7, 2021

This day was first established in 2009 and is a day to celebrate and honour transgender parents instead of the traditional Mother’s or Father’s Day. Today the day also includes parents who have transgender children. This day typically involves small celebrations and gift-giving to one’s parent or caregiver.

INTERSEX AWARENESS DAY

October 26, 2021

Celebrated in October to commemorate the first intersex protest, which took place in Boston, MA outside the annual American Academy of Pediatrics conference in 1996. This day was first established in 2003 by Emi Koyoma and Betsy Driver, as a way to raise awareness and a day of action to end shame, secrecy and unwanted genital cosmetic surgeries on intersex children.

SPIRIT DAY (ANTI-BULLYING)

October 21, 2021

Spirit Day was first established in 2010 by Canadian teenager Brittany McMillan. It was created in response to a series of bullying related suicides of LGBT2Q+ students in 2010. This day encourages everyone to speak out against LGBT2Q bullying and standing with LGBT2Q youth, who disproportionately face bullying and harassment because of their identities. On this day, supporters  wear purple as a way to visibly show solidarity with LGBTQ youth and to honour LGBT2Q+ victims of suicide.

The name “Spirit Day” comes from the purple stripe of the Rainbow flag which represents ‘spirit’.