Celebrating Pride Month

With most of the final celebrations happening tomorrow, Saturday, 25th June, Monday, June 28th, is ‘Pride Day‘ when the International LGBTQIA+ community are celebrated. During the Pride, different marches and collective events are organised to make the fight for equality and dignity of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people visible.

LGBTQ stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans, Queer or Questioning.
More recently, I and A have been added to the acronym to represent Intersex and Asexual.
The + represents those not included in the original acronym, in terms of gender identity or sexual orientation e.g. Pan and Nonbinary.

Other Awareness Days this month are:

• June 26th |  LGBT Equality Day
• June 26th |  Anniversary of the Legalization of Same-Sex Marriage in the U.S
• June 27th |  National HIV Testing Day
• June 28th |  Stonewall Riots Anniversary

Next month:

• July 14th |  International Non-Binary People’s Day

And in October 2022:

• October 11th |  National Coming Out Day
• October 19th |  Spirit Day; LGBT Center Awareness Day
• October 26th |  Intersex Awareness Day
• Last full week in October |  Asexual Awareness Week

In the UK, inspired by this movement and founded in 1989 to lobby for equal rights for LGBT people, Stonewall is now the biggest LGBTQ+ rights organisation in Europe. Describing themselves as “a team of bold, passionate people fighting for the freedom, equity and potential of LGBTQ+ people everywhere.”

They stand for lesbian, gay, bi, trans, queer, questioning and ace (LGBTQ+) people everywhere. They imagine a world where all LGBTQ+ people are free to be themselves and can live their lives to the full.

Please view their list of organisations that can provide support and help HERE.
You can also ring the LGBT Switchboard every day 10am-10pm on 0300 330 0630 if you would like to talk to someone.
Contact them on FREEPHONE 0800 0502020, lines are open 9:30am – 4:30pm Monday to Friday (an answerphone is available outside these hours).
Email them at info@stonewall.org.uk.
Write to them at: Stonewall, 192 St. John Street, London, EC1V 4JY.

This is the 1st Pride Flag designed by Gilbert Baker, which appeared in 1977. Commissioned by a gay politician, he was inspired by Judy Garland’s ‘Over The Rainbow‘ and the colours symbolised the following: Hot pink for sex, red for life, orange for healing, yellow for sunlight, green for nature, turquoise for magic/art, indigo for serenity, and violet for spirit.
Click HERE to read an article published last year in Marie Claire showing the 30 Different Pride Flags and stating what each one represents.

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