Today is the anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising in New York City, a key turning point in the struggle for LGBTQIA+ rights. Use the anniversary to discuss the importance of intersectionality in our movements and the ongoing work to achieve racial and economic justice in the LGBTQIA+ community. Cite the values of safety, opportunity, community, and voice.
Tag: lgbtq
Father’s Day
Father’s Day is an important time to talk about racial justice and economic opportunity with your community. The separation of immigrant families, impacts of discriminatory policing and mass incarceration, and cultural attacks on LGBTQ+ communities can make this a hard and heavy day for many. Talk about the need to protect family unity and inclusively celebrate all families on this date. Focus on the values of opportunity, safety, and equity.
Loving Day
Loving Day celebrates the anniversary of the 1967 United States Supreme Court decision on the case of Loving v. Virginia, which struck down all state laws banning interracial marriage. In 2022, President Biden signed the Respect for Marriage Act, which codified the federal government’s recognition and respect of both same-sex and interracial marriages. This legislation passed in response to SCOTUS’ decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which raised concern that other landmark cases would be threatened. Use the anniversary to talk about racial justice with the values of equity and voice.
Griswold v. Connecticut
On this day in 1965, the Supreme Court upheld the “right of marital privacy” in the case of Griswold v. Connecticut, which ensured access to contraception. The case provided precedent for the court to legalize abortion in the Roe v. Wade case eight years later. The Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overrule Roe also raised concern about how the right to privacy might be further threatened in other landmark decisions. When discussing the intersecting harms of the political attacks on reproductive freedom, remember to advance narratives of full rights and justice for everyone, especially those living in poverty and Black, brown, and Indigenous communities. Cite the values of opportunity and equity.
PRIDE Month
Happy Pride Month! As we come together for annual Pride celebrations, remember to uplift the intersectional issues impacting members of the LGBTQIA+ community, with an eye to racial, gender, and economic justice. Cite the values of safety, opportunity, community, and voice.
ACT UP
ACT UP (AIDS Coalition To Unleash Power) held its first-ever demonstration on this day in 1987. The protest on Wall Street targeted pharmaceutical companies that were profiteering from the epidemic. ACT UP brought widespread attention to the AIDS epidemic and helped make significant advances in AIDS research. Discuss this anniversary and the ongoing need for healthcare and LGBTQ activism. Cite the values of voice, equity, and community.
Bayard Rustin
Civil rights leader Bayard Rustin was born on this day in 1912. As a gay black man who helped plan the 1963 March on Washington, Rustin’s life illustrates the reality of intersectional struggles. In February 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom posthumously pardoned Rustin for a 1953 conviction under laws that targeted LGBTQ people. Cite the values of equity and voice when talking about Rustin’s life.
International Women’s Day
Today is International Women’s Day. Use this event to discuss the importance of intersectionality and the need for both equity and inclusivity to guide collective action towards gender justice. Cite the values of voice, equity, and economic opportunity.
Harvey Milk
Today is Harvey Milk Day, the birthday (in 1930) of one of the nation’s first openly gay elected officials. His life was cut short when he was assassinated in 1978. Milk’s life provides an important milestone in the struggle for LGBTQ+ rights. Cite the values of voice, equity, and safety when discussing Milk’s legacy.
Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day is an important time to discuss economic and racial justice for families. Past campaigns include creative interventions to share more inclusive “Mama’s Day” cards, release mothers from jail while advocating for an end to money bail, or oppose the separation and detention of families arriving at our borders. Celebrate the values of equity, economic opportunity, and community.
