ALONE WE'RE A DROP OF WATER – TOGETHER A MIGHTY RIVER
As the future gets closer each day, navigating the road ahead will require us understand the past in a much personal way. Those tests, challenges, lessons, and battles will help us to better appreciate the struggles of our future.
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.
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’.
October 11, 2021
Started in 1988 by Rob Eichberg and Jean O’Leary in celebration of the second March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights on Oct. 11, 1987. In the 1980s, when many people did not know any openly LGBT2Q+ people, ignorance and silence allowed homophobia to persist. Coming out was a form of activism and it was believed that when people realised they knew someone who was LGBT2Q+, they would be far more likely to support equality under the law.
Each year on Oct. 11, National Coming Out Day continues to promote a safe world for LGBT2Q+ individuals to live openly.
It should be noted that modern LGBT2Q+ activists believe that the idea of “coming out” reinforces a view that heterosexuality is the norm. “Coming out” implicitly announces — to LGBTQ individuals, allies and enemies — that queer people are aberrant. There has additionally been growing acknowledgement that for many members of our Queer community, this places undue pressure on folks who are not in a safe country or circumstances to ‘come out’.
October 8, 2021
International Lesbian Day celebrates lesbian culture, community and visibility.
IDL dates back to New Zealand activism and is considered to be first celebrated on March 8th, 1980 by a group of 40 lesbians who marched through Wellington Park, New Zealand on International Women’s Day.
International Lesbian Day is marked annual on October 8th because it’s exactly six months after International Women’s Day on March 8th.
–
First celebrated in 1994, it was declared a national History month by President Barack Obama in 2009. LGBT History Month is a month-long annual observance of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender history, and the history of the gay rights and related civil rights movements. LGBT History Month provides role models, builds community, and represents a civil rights statement about the contributions of the LGBT community
A flag meant to show support and inclusiveness for all, no matter race, sex, gender or sexuality, from the rainbow to the grey.
Replacing other symbols the lemniscate symbolizing we’re all infinitely connected to one another no matter our differences.
The Unity Pride Flag celebrates our diversity as individually and our unity as a community. Those who themselves are represented in this flag on the left to those who are on the grey side.
We See You, We Hear You, We Love You & We’re Proud of You
The colours of The Unity Pride Flag come from the roots of Gilbert Baker’s original 8 color Gay Pride Flag in 1978, Jim Evans’s Polyamorous Flag in 1995, Michael Page’s Bisexual Flag in 1998, Monica Helms’s Trans Flag in 1999, Sean Campbell’s Lesbian Flag in 1999, Unknown creator Pansexual Flag in 2010, Aven’s Asexual Flag in 2010, Unknown Demisexual Flag in 2010, Evie Varney’s Pansexual Flag in 2010, KJ People’s Genderfluid Flag in 2012, Tumblr user Samlin’s Polysexual Flag in 2012, AVEN – Aromantic Flag in 2011 & 2014, Morgan Carpenter’s Intersex Flag in 2013,
Salem X’s Agender Flag in 2014, Marilyn Roxie’s Genderqueer Flag in 2010, Marilyn Roxie‘s Nonbinary Flag in 2014, Philadelphia’s addition of Brown and Black representing communities of colour in 2017, Daniel Quasar’s Progress Pride Flag in 2018. You can also find the colours for many other flags here and that represent our allies.
We take a moment to celebrates the achievements of Harvey Milk, a gay rights activist who was assassinated in 1978.
Harvey Milk was the first openly gay person to be elected to public office in a major city in the US, serving on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors from 1977-1978. His life and political career embody the rise of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) civil rights movement.
While in office, Milk worked to pass a gay rights ordinance and defeat Proposition 6, commonly known as the Briggs Initiative, which would have banned gays and lesbians from teaching in public schools. Milk encouraged LGBT people to be visible in society and believed in achieving social equality.
Milk was assassinated in 1978 by Dan White, a former colleague on the Board of Supervisors whose politics often clashed with Milk’s. On October 11, 2009, Californian governor Arnold Schwarzenegger established Harvey Milk Day to be held as a significant observance on May 22, which is Milk’s birthday. Harvey Milk Day is marked as a special day of significance in schools across the state.
Deborah Batts – 1994 was the first openly gay or lesbian United States federal judge (United States District Court for the Southern District of New York)
Lea DeLaria is an American comedian, actress, and jazz singer. DeLaria is credited with being the first openly gay comic to appear on a late-night talk show with her 1993 appearance on The Arsenio Hall Show. She is best known for her portrayal of inmate Carrie “Big Boo” Black on Netflix original series Orange Is the New Black.
In December 1993 Lea DeLaria hosted Comedy Central’s Out There, the first all-gay stand-up comedy special.