WELCOME
June is Pride Month, a time dedicated to promoting and celebrating LGTBQIA+ people as a group (see below for a guide on these letters!). Pride, as opposed to shame and social stigma, is the predominant outlook that bolsters most LGTBQIA+ rights movements.
Over the past 50 years, pride events, marches and demonstrations have evolved considerably. In nations where LGBTQ+ people are protected and acceptance is high, many pride events have grown in scale, welcoming millions of visitors to their celebrations. Major cities like New York, São Paulo and Madrid host some of the largest events in the world with crowds of up to 5 million people (according to the The International LGBTQ+ Travel Association).
OUR PROGRAM - CELEBRATING PRIDE
Week 1: What is the LGBTQIA+ community and what does PRIDE mean?
Week One: What is the LGBTQIA+ community and what does PRIDE mean?
What is the connection between the month of June and Pride? The majority of Pride events are held in June to commemorate the anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion in New York City on June 28, 1969.
Sylvia Rivera and Marsha P Johnson- Trans women of color, and important leaders in the movement pictured above.
At the time of the Stonewall Rebellion, “gay behavior” such as kissing or holding hands with someone of the same sex was illegal. Police raids on bars catering to LGBT patrons were common, but that night, the patrons of the Stonewall Inn fought back. Most historians consider this event to be the birth of the modern LGBT movement.
On the one-year anniversary of the riots on June 28, 1970, thousands of people marched in the streets of Manhattan from the Stonewall Inn to Central Park in what was then called “Christopher Street Liberation Day,” America’s first gay pride parade. The parade’s official chant was: “Say it loud, gay is proud.”
SPOTLIGHT
Interview with Carolyn Abare: Speech Therapist Barker Road Middle School
Who is a part of the LGBTQIA+ community?
Anyone who isn’t heterosexual and/or cisgender(one whose gender matches the sex they were assigned at birth).
Ex: someone who is gay and cisgender, someone who is a heterosexual and transgender, someone who is bisexual and non-binary.
What the different letters of LGBTQIA+ mean
Lesbian → Women who are emotionally, romantically or sexually attracted to other women.
Gay → A person who is emotionally, romantically, or sexually attracted to members of the same gender.
Bisexual → A person who is emotionally, sexually or romantially attracted to more than one sex, gender, or gender identity.
Trans/Transgender → A person whose gender identity and/or expression is different from cultural expectations based on the sex they were assigned at birth.
Questioning → Someone who is questioning their sexuality orientation or gender
Queer → An umbrella term to express a spectrum of identities and orientations that counter to the mainstream. This term was previously used as a slur but has been reclaimed by many.
Intersex → People who are born with a variety of difference in their sex traits and reproductive anatomy. Approximately 1 in 2000 individuals are identified as intersex at birth, and when looking at broader traits (hormones, internal organs, secondary sex charatherisic, etc) it is estimated that 1 in 200 people could be considered Intersex.
Asexual → Someone who doesn’t experience sexual attraction or doesn’t have a desire for partnered sexual activity. (this is different from celibacy!)
DISCLAIMER: people define themselves and definitions vary from person to person and source to source.
TIP: Mirroring: Use the terms individuals use for themselves. Identity is self-known and shared, not given by others.
What does the plus mean?
Anyone who isn’t included in the letters that are a part of the acronym, for example: pansexual, polysexual, non-binary, demisexual, omnigender, aromantic, two-spirit, etc. There are many whose letters aren’t included in the acronym but are a part of the LGBTQIA+ community. (More on this week 3)
Why is the LGBTQIA+ community important to people?
A way to “fit in” when it comes to not being heterosexual or being cisgender, makes people feel less alone when there is a sense of community where there are others like them.
Safe LGBTQAI+ community space (online and in person) are places people can discuss with others similar to them about their experiences, positive and negative. Also provides a way for people who have questions to ask people in the community about them and get answers.
Why is Pride month important?
The daily experiences of LGBTQAI+ Folx can include mistreatment, and not feeling seen(more on week 3). This is a time to CELEBRATE - ACKNOWLEDGE - APPRECIATE DIVERSITY and be PROUD!
Explaining PRIDE to younger kids (3:34)
You are Invited to a Parent Workshop on LGTBQ+ Inclusion!
A safe zone or a safe space is actually not just a place! It’s also a frame of mind and a way to embody and carry yourself. A nonjudgemental environment that promotes honest dialogues where folks can bring their authentic and wholistic identities without fear of being discriminated against based on gender identity, gender expression, or orientation.
Please join Pittsford Central PTSA and The Safe Zone Initiative on June 17th, 7-9 PM in an interactive and engaging workshop.
TrevorLifeline : Our trained counselors are here to support you 24/7. If you are a young person in crisis, feeling suicidal, or in need of a safe and judgment-free place to talk, call the TrevorLifeline now at 1-866-488-7386.
The Pittsford Central PTSA DEI Committee seeks to celebrate ALL residents and truly value diversity and inclusion. We emphasize that our differences truly make us better. We know that it is essential to create welcoming schools and classrooms where differences in language, culture, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, unique abilities, etc., are viewed as assets rather than deficits. An awareness and acceptance of these differences are foundational to the success of all students.
As a small group of volunteers, we acknowledge we may be incomplete in our coverage of this topic. For that reason - we welcome you to contact us with suggestions and additions regarding any of this material, you may reach the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee via our feedback form. We can add more to our posts throughout the month and plan to build on this material in future years.
Pittsford Central PTSA, NYSPTA and National PTA Resources
Pittsford Central School District and Monroe County Resources
Indigenous Land Acknowledgement
We acknowledge the Seneca people as the traditional custodians of the land that we are on and for their enduring presence. We would also like to pay respects to Elders past and present of the Hodinöhsö:ni' Confederacy, and we extend that respect to any other indigenous people who are present with us today. We make this acknowledgment as a first step in fulfilling our responsibility to critically look at colonial histories and their present-day implications as we pay respect to the keepers of the land, and the land itself. We are aware that acknowledgment is not reparation, and land acknowledgment without active steps towards education, support of the Seneca Nation, and sincere efforts to undo colonial legacies means very little.
Comments