June Is LGBTQ+ Pride Month 2023

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. Pansexual and Nonbinary.

Every year, during the month of June, the LGBTQ+ community celebrates in a number of different ways. Across the globe, various events are held during this special month as a way of recognising the influence LGBTQ+ people have had around the world. Why was June chosen? Because it is when the Stonewall Riots took place, back in 1969.

As well as being a month long celebration, Pride month is also an opportunity to peacefully protest and raise political awareness of current issues facing the community. Parades are a prominent feature of Pride month, and there are many street parties, community events, poetry readings, public speaking, street festivals and educational sessions – all of which are covered by mainstream media and attracting millions of participants.

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.

There are many Pride flags – here are some examples of some –

Click HERE to read an article published in 2021 in Marie Claire showing the 30 Different Pride Flags and stating what each one represents.

The flag in the main picture is Valentino Vecchietti ‘s Intersex-Inclusive Pride Progress flag – Intersex people continue to be subjected to non-consensual surgeries both in the United States and around the world. California has considered legislation that would protect intersex youth from such procedures, but so far has only succeeded in passing a resolution condemning them. The intersex community has long advocated for hospitals and medical associations to condemn and apologise for the unnecessary surgeries. #BeKind #Inclusion

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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.

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.

#Broadwindsor,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#Drimpton,#Dorset,#Village,#Community,#PrideMonth,#Pride,#RainbowFlag,#LGBTQIA+,#Support,#Understanding,#WeAreAllHuman,#MarieClaire,#GilbertBaker,#BeKind,#BeSafe,#StaySafe

Today Is International Lesbian Day

International Lesbian Day is an annual day to celebrate and bring visibility to lesbians in the LGBT+ community. First beginning in the late 1980’s/ early 1990’s in New Zealand and then Australia – the exact foundation of International Lesbian Day is uncertain. The first Australian event was held at the Collingwood Town Hall in Melbourne on October 13, 1990.

There are two lesbian flags:

1. The standard lesbian flag consists of six shades of red and pink colours and a white bar in the centre.
Sometimes it has a lipstick mark in the corner indicating that the holder is a “lipstick lesbian” (slang for a lesbian who exhibits a greater amount of feminine gender attributes, such as wearing make-up). Some lesbians also oppose use of any flag revised from the lipstick original because its designer Natalie McCray reportedly wrote racist, biphobic and transphobic comments on a since-deleted blog.

2. The Labrys flag, features a battle-axe on a dark purple background. The colour purple, or lavender is long associated with lesbianism as is the colour of violets – a flower historically used by lesbians to indicate themselves to other lesbians.
It represents the strength and feminism of homosexual women and was adopted into the lesbian community in the 1970’s. The labrys is also featured within Greek and Roman mythology, associated with the festival Laphria, Artemis, Goddess of wild animals, the hunt, and vegetation and of chastity and childbirth and Determis, Goddess of Fertility & Agriculture.

See all 30 LGBTQ+ flags HERE.

Monday, October 11th is National Coming Out Day, which has been recognised sonce 1980. It supports lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people to “come out of the closet“. It is a great opportunity for employers to demonstrate that everyone is accepted by giving visibility to this day at the workplace, making employees feel less anxious about sharing other aspects of their personality and their identity.

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.”
Email them at info@stonewall.org.uk.
Write to them at: Stonewall, 192 St. John Street, London, EC1V 4JY.

#Broadwindsor,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#Drimpton,#Dorset,#Village,#Pride,#InternationalLesbianDay,#LGBTQIA+,#Support,#Understanding,#WeAreAllHuman,#NCOD,#Stonewall,#BeKind,#BeSafe,#StaySafe

Pride Month

Happy Pride Month to all LGBTQIA+ supporters.

Pride is not to be confused with LGBTQ+ History Month which is in February to coincide with the abolition of section 28 in 2003.

Section 28 was a law that prohibited the “promotion of homosexuality” and hindered education about homosexuality in schools. Introduced by Margaret Thatcher and her Conservative government in 1988 and then repealed by Tony Blair’s Labour in 2003 (this was after an earlier, unsuccessful attempt in 2000).

PRIDE

Pride is held in June to mark the anniversary of the Stonewall riots, a series of protests that happened in New York city after police attempted to raid the Stonewall Inn, a popular gay bar, in the early hours of June 28, 1969.
The confrontation sparked a gay rights uprising that grew year on year – including in other American cities and abroad – with each passing anniversary.
The Stonewall Inn is now a designated US national monument, and New York City Police issued an apology 50 years later in June 2019 for its officers’ actions back in 1969.

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 month in Marie Claire showing the 30 Different Pride Flags and stating what each one represents.

#Broadwindsor,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#Drimpton,#Dorset,#Village,PrideMonth,#Pride,#RainbowFlag,#LGBTQIA+,#Support,#Understanding,#WeAreAllHuman,#MarieClaire,#GilbertBaker,#BeKind,#BeSafe,#StaySafe

#Broadwindsor,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#Drimpton,#Dorset,#Village,#Community,#PrideMonth,#Pride,#GilbertBaker,#RainbowFlag,#LGBT,#LGBTQ,#LGBTQIA+,#ValentinoVecchietti,#Support,#Understanding,#WeAreAllHuman,#Inclusion,#MarieClaire,#GilbertBaker,#BeKind,#BeSafe,#StaySafe

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PRIDE

#Broadwindsor,#Burstock,#Blackdown,#Hursey,#Kittwhistle,#Seaborough,#Drimpton,#Dorset,#Village,PrideMonth,#Pride,#RainbowFlag,#LGBTQIA+,#Support,#Understanding,#WeAreAllHuman,#MarieClaire,#GilbertBaker,#BeKind,#BeSafe,#StaySafe

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