The LGBTQ community has seen controversy regarding acceptance of different groups (bisexual and transgender individuals have sometimes been marginalized by the larger community), but the term LGBT has been a positive symbol of inclusion and reflects the embrace of different identities and that we’re stronger together and need each other. While there are differences, we all face many of the same challenges from broader society.
In the 1960′s, in wider society the meaning of the word gay transitioned from ‘happy’ or ‘carefree’ to predominantly mean ‘homosexual’ as they adopted the word as was used by homosexual men, except that society also used it as an umbrella term that meant anyone who wasn’t cisgender or heterosexual. The wider queer community embraced the word ‘gay’ as a mark of pride.
The modern fight for queer rights is considered to have begun with The Stonewall Riots in 1969 and was called the Gay Liberation Movement and the Gay Rights Movement.
The acronym GLB surfaced around this time to also include Lesbian and Bisexual people who felt “gay” wasn’t inclusive of their identities.
Early in the gay rights movement, gay men were largely the ones running the show and there was a focus on men’s issues. Lesbians were unhappy that gay men dominated the leadership and ignored their needs and the feminist fight. As a result, lesbians tended to focus their attention on the Women’s Rights Movement which was happening at the same time. This dominance by gay men was seen as yet one more example of patriarchy and sexism.
In the 1970′s, sexism and homophobia existed in more virulent forms and those biases against lesbians also made it hard for them to find their voices within women’s liberation movements. Betty Friedan, the founder of the National Organization for Women (NOW), commented that lesbians were a “lavender menace” that threatened the political efficacy of the organization and of feminism and many women felt including lesbians was a detriment.
In the 80s and 90s, a huge portion of gay men were suffering from AIDS while the lesbian community was largely unaffected. Lesbians helped gay men with medical care and were a massive part of the activism surrounding the gay community and AIDS. This willingness to support gay men in their time of need sparked a closer, more supportive relationship between both groups, and the gay community became more receptive to feminist ideals and goals.
Approaching the 1990′s it was clear that GLB referred to sexual identity and wasn’t inclusive of gender identity and T should be added, especially since trans activist have long been at the forefront of the community’s fight for rights and acceptance, from Stonewall onward. Some argued that T should not be added, but many gay, lesbian and bisexual people pointed out that they also transgress established gender norms and therefore the GLB acronym should include gender identities and they pushed to include T in the acronym.
GLBT became LGBT as a way to honor the tremendous work the lesbian community did during the AIDS crisis.
Towards the end of the 1990s and into the 2000s, movements took place to add additional letters to the acronym to recognize Intersex, Asexual, Aromantic, Agender, and others. As the acronym grew to LGBTIQ, LGBTQIA, LGBTQIAA, many complained this was becoming unwieldy and started using a ‘+’ to show LGBT aren’t the only identities in the community and this became more common, whether as LGBT+ or LGBTQ+.
In the 2010′s, the process of reclaiming the word “queer” that began in the 1980′s was largely accomplished. In the 2020′s the LGBTQ+ acronym is used less often as Queer is becoming the more common term to represent the community.
Capitalism at its finest.
(This is an incomplete list and will be updated as needed.)
Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month
Thyroid Awareness Month
Trans Prisoner Day of Action and Solidarity (Jan 22nd)
International Holocaust Remembrance Day (Jan 27th)
LGBTQ+ History Month (UK)
Black History Month (USA/Canada)
Polyamory Week (Canada, week of Valentine's Day)
Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Week (first full week after 14th.)
Chosen Family Day (Feb 22)
Rare Disease Day (February 28th)
Disability Day of Mourning (March 1st)
Zero Discrimination Day (March 1st)
Dyscalculia Day (March 3rd)
National Abortion Provider Appreciation Day (March 10th)
Bisexual Health Awareness Month (#BiHealthMonth)
National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month
Women's History Month
Neurodiversity Celebration Week (March 21st-27th)
Atheist Day (March 23rd)
Trans Week of Visibility (week of March 31st)
International Transgender Day of Visibility (#TDOV, March 31st).
Autism Acceptance Month
World Autism Acceptance Day (April 2nd)
International Asexuality Day (April 6th, may change yearly)
Day of Silence (date varies)
National Transgender HIV Testing Day (April 18th)
Nonbinary Parents Day (third Sunday)
Anniversary of "Genderqueer" being added to the dictionary (April 20th, 2016)
Lesbian Visibility Day (April 26th)
Arab American Heritage Month
Sexual Assault Awareness Month
Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Jewish American Heritage Month
Mental Health Awareness Month
EDS and HSD Awareness Month
National Day of Reason (first Thursday)
International Family Equality Day (first Sunday)
National Honor Our LGBT+ Elders Day (May 16th)
International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia (May 17th)
Agender Pride Day (May 19th)
Harvey Milk Day (May 22nd)
Pansexual and Panromantic Awareness and Visibility Day (May 24th)
World Thyroid Day (May 25th)
LGBTQIA+ Pride Month
Global Day of Parents (June 1st)
National Gun Violence Awareness Day (first Friday)
Pulse Night of Remembrance (June 12th)
Autistic Pride Day (June 18th)
Anniversary of Obergefell v. Hodges (June 26th)
National HIV Testing Day (June 27th)
Stonewall Riots Anniversary (June 28th)
Disability Pride Month
Abrosexual Awareness Day (July 2nd)
International Femme Appreciation Day (First Saturday of July)
Queerplatonic Relationships Day (#QPRDay, third Saturday)
International Nonbinary People's Day (July 14th)
Nonbinary Awareness Week (week of 14th)
International Drag Day (July 16th)
National Parents' Day (USA, fourth Sunday)
International Self Care Day (July 24th)
International Childfree Day (August 1st)
Autistic Dignity Day (August 8th)
Gay Uncles Day (second Sunday)
Polyamorous Awareness Week (third week)
International Butch Appreciation Day (August 18th)
Transgender Flag Day (August 19th)
Wear It Purple Day (Australia, last Friday)
International Day of Protest Against ABA (August 31st)
Bi Pride Month
National Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept 15th-Oct 15th)
Bisexual Awareness Week (week of Sept 23)
Celebrate Bisexuality Day (Sept 23)
International Safe Abortion Day (Sept 28)
National Day For Truth and Reconciliation (Sept 30th, Canada)
LGBTQ+ History Month (USA/Canada)
National Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept 15th-Oct 15th)
Augmentative and Alternative Communication Awareness Month
Domestic Violence Awareness Month
ADHD Awareness Month
Black History Month (UK)
International Lesbian Day (Oct 8th)
World Mental Health Day (Oct 10th)
National Coming Out Day (Oct 11th)
National Freethought Day (Oct 12th)
OCD Awareness Week (second full week of October)
Trans Cake Day/Cake For Trans Friends Day (October 14th)
International Pronouns Day (third Wednesday)
Spirit Day (third Thursday)
Intersex Awareness Day (Oct 26th)
Asexual Awareness Week (last full week of October)
Native American Heritage Month
Autistics Speaking Day (Nov 1st)
Intersex Day of Remembrance/Intersex Solidarity Day (Nov 8th)
Transgender Rite of Ancestor Elevation (Nov 12th-20th)
Trans Parent Day (first Sunday)
Transgender Awareness Week (Nov 13th-19th)
Nonbinary Children's Day (Nov 13th)
Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR, Nov 20th)
National Polyamory Day (Canada, Nov 23rd)
World AIDS Day (Dec 1st)
International Day of People With Disabilities (Dec 3rd)
Bisexual Pride Flag Day (Dec 5th)
Gender Expansive Parents Day (Dec 6th)
Pansexual Pride Day (Dec 8th)
Human Rights Day (Dec 10th)
Better late then never I guess.
Good news! The gaming live-streaming service Twitch has removed the anti-transgender organization LBG Alliance from its list of accepted charities.
In response to a request on their web site, Twitch admins responded:
Thank you for sharing your concerns with us. Following a thorough review, we have removed the LGB Alliance from our list of approved charities. Twitch does not allow charities that violate our hateful conduct policies on Twitch, or whose organization or leadership engage in or promote behaviors that violate our Off-Service policy. You can find our response on Autism Speaks here.
We include a wide range of organizations in Twitch’s charity tool through our partnership with the PayPal Giving Fund so that streamers can choose which charities they align with and wish to support. Inclusion on this list is not an endorsement from Twitch. However, we regularly review the list and remove organizations that violate our policies. Please continue to share your feedback to help us improve charity on Twitch.
Fun Fact: if you record someone doing something weird on the train to post online, I am going to fucking break your spine in half <3
We need shittable cities (actively maintained public restrooms).
Such a nice picture, and a collection I am on my way to building :)
An assemblage of coffee things, because I like coffee a normal amount. I wanted to focus on some of the ingenious methods of making good coffee at home. Lately I’m enjoying a cozy little pour over - I like the way it requires you to take a few meditative minutes to prepare, but that cleanup is the work of moments, and it produces such a lovely coffee - assuming the beans are good, of course. (I’m enjoying a nice washed Colombian gesha at home right now - it’s so lovely and bright!) What’s your favourite coffee making method?
I raise you the giddy feeling of beginning to watch an episode of Board Game Club
In case you ever wanted to feel like you just finished watching an episode of house rules
some of my pixel art studies of studio ghibli stills
you can download them all for free in a pack here on my ko-fi !!
18+ only, NSFW. My fandom crushes, post-anarchist socialist utopias, queer vibes, wierd interests, sex positive (and just sex) stuff and coffee nerd stuff. Queer socialist 20-something year old.
69 posts