Day 20 | Gender Identity, Sexual orientation, and LGBTQI+
“All of us who are openly gay are living and writing the history of our movement. We are no more – and no less – heroic than the suffragists and abolitionists of the 19th century; and the labor organizers, Freedom Riders, Stonewall demonstrators, and environmentalists of the 20th century. We are ordinary people, living our lives, and trying as civil-rights activist Dorothy Cotton said, to ‘fix what ain’t right’ in our society.”
Senator Tammy Baldwin
Today: Do one or more of the following:
READ As one activist says in this PBS article, “We’re not just looking for progress. We’re looking for liberation. And liberation goes beyond just the legislation; that also goes to us being able to live our lives without the threat of violence and murder.”
WATCH If you want to be more inclusive of the LGBTQ+ community, you have to learn the basics, and this LGBTQ 101 presentation by One Iowa is a great place to start! You will learn the difference between sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression in addition to a summary of what the LGBTQ acronym means.
Check out Trans and Nonbinary 101 (PDF) and LGBTQ 101 (PDF) as you watch the presentation and for future reference.
VIEW National Geographic’s Stonewall at 50 features photos, quotes, and short videos that tell stories of LGBTQ+ resistance and resilience. The stories were collected as part of photographer Robin Hammond’s project Where Love is Illegal, created in 2014 with the mission of ending persecution based on sexuality and gender identity.
READ Continue your personal education with this reading list (PDF) featuring options that will appeal to readers regardless of where they are along their journey of understanding, embracing, and supporting LGBTQ+ equality.
Don’t forget to log your activities!