June 1 marks the start of Pride Month! Below are a few ways you can commemorate Pride this year. 

The History and Significance of Pride 

by Lisa Hoffmann

As Pride Month festivities continue this June of 2023, let’s pause to reflect on the month’s history, why we celebrate, and the work ahead.   

Pride Month celebrates LGBTQIA+ culture, achievements, and activism through various organized activities, including film festivals, art exhibits, marches, concerts, and other programs. The LGBTQIA+ community and its allies aim to increase awareness of ongoing issues of inequity and commemorate lives lost to hate crimes and the AIDS crisis.  

Pride Month takes place in June to honor the anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising. In the late 1960s, being openly gay was prohibited in most places. In New York, the presence of someone gay or genderqueer was seen as disorderly conduct, thus outlawing gay bars. The Stonewall Inn was a popular bar with a diverse LGBTQ clientele that was raided with excessive force by police in 1969. The resulting clash led to six days of riots and protests, known as the Stonewall Uprising. On the first anniversary of the raid, thousands took the streets to march in the Christopher Street Gay Liberation Day March, seen as the first gay pride event ever. As awareness grew, more activities and events were planned and the day of celebration grew into a month-long observance.  

Shifting to today, a recent poll shows that one in 10 millennials and one in five Gen Z members self-identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or something other than heterosexual, doubling since 2012 when the Gallup poll first measured. Yet, the injustice continues. In recent months, the most anti-LGBTQ legislation in Florida’s state history was enacted. Censorship and erasure of the LGBTQ community in the classroom have resulted in misgendering students without consequence and book bans on LGBTQ authors and content. Florida’s Boards of Medicine and Osteopathy have banned transgender youth from entering into lifesaving medical care, and the Agency for Health Care Administration has eliminated all Medicaid coverage – including for transgender adults- accessing that care. These policies disproportionately harm marginalized communities, including the direct impacts on the transgender community and communities of color, and could lead to serious health consequences. Colleges and universities are no longer funded for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs and campus activities that are not required by law. Such disinvestment undermines the ability of students and faculty to engage in critical discussions about issues of race, gender, and identity.  

So what can you do?  

Enjoy these final days of celebration and please join us in standing together in the fight for equity and inclusion of the LGBTQIA+ community. 

Learn more at: 

 What is Pride Month? Facts, Meaning and Why We Celebrate (today.com)  

LGBT Identification in U.S. Ticks Up to 7.1% (gallup.com) 

Pride Month 2023: Origins, Parades & Dates | HISTORY 

Nation’s Largest LGBTQ Advocacy Group Joins Equality Florida In Issuing Updated Florida Travel Advisory | Equality Florida (eqfl.org) 

Opinion: How to respond to anti-LGBTQ hate this Pride month | CNN

Take a minute to test your knowledge about pride month, LGBTQIA+ rights, terminology, and stars!  

Complete this 7 questions trivia quiz by Thursday, June 29 at 5pm to enter a raffle drawing for gift cards to Red Emma’s!  

Enter the raffle here!

Come join us on Thursday, June 22, 2023, 12:30 PM-2:30 PM in the 421 Fallsway, 3rd Floor Small Conference Room for an afternoon of button making and story sharing! Decorate your button however you choose (some suggestions include pronoun buttons, pride flag buttons, rainbow buttons, or whatever design you have in mind). Discussion prompts will be provided, and everyone is welcome to share about their experiences with gender, sexuality, and pride. Button supplies and art supplies will be provided. Light refreshments availble. 

Missed out? Check out photos from the event.

Gender Neutral Language and Pronouns

Using gender neutral langauge and one's pronouns is just one way we can respect and honor the humanity and dignity of those around us; especially those of us who may not identify within the gender binary. Take a look at the video below, shown at our June 2023 All Staff meeting to learn more about the importance of gender neutral language and pronouns.

Image from: Clarified: Evolution of the pride flag

The Pride flag is a symbol of unity and visibility of the diverse experiences within the LGBTQIA+ community. Each color has an important significance as the symbol has evolved over the years. Learn more about these meanings and the evolution of the symbol. 

Explore LGBTQIA+ Resources

• Learn some common terms used in the LGBTQ+ community

• Learn about the Transgender community
• Explore Marriage Equity Around the World

• Explore LGBTQ+ Pride Month Education Resources

• Download an LGBTQ+ Pride Month toolkit

• Explore the Transgender Day of Visibility 2023 webpage for interviews, activities, and advocacy updates

Celebrate with Community Pride Events

Support local LGBTQ+ organizations

Explore the 2022 Pride page 

2023 Planning Committee members: 

• Maddy Horan, Major Gifts Associate • Lilian Amaya, Coordinator of Community Health • Lisa Hoffmann, Quality Assurance Coordinator • Adedoyin Eisape, REI Program Manager • Arie Hayre-Somuah, REI Health Specialist •