Today marks the 52nd anniversary of the Stonewall Riots – six days of unrest in NYC that remained the catalyst to the existing Gay Rights Movement. Although good progress has been made in terms of LGBTQ+ rights and equality in our country since that fateful night in 1969, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done. As we close up Pride Month 2021, we’re sharing 5 Things to Know and Do to continue to support and fight for equal rights across the LGBTQ+ community.
- 1 in 5 – the number of LGBTQ+ women living in poverty.
The Williams Institute - LGBTQ+ individuals are much more likely to experience eating disorders.
Center for Discovery - 38-65% of transgender individuals experience suicidal ideation.
Center for Transgender Equality - Among males who have eating disorders, 42% identify as gay.
Psychology Today - 15% of LGBTQ+ Americans report postponing or avoiding medical treatment due to discrimination, including transgender-specific coverage exclusions.
The Center for American Progress
- Educate yourself. Learn about the history of LGBTQ+ people in our country, the significant milestones and issues that impact their lives. Organizations like GLSEN and the GLAAD offer insights, news and resources related to the LGBTQ+ community and their movement.
- Advocate. If you witness discrimination or a hate crime targeted towards someone within the LGBTQ+ community, say something. Becoming an ally both in your community and in the office is critical to the success of the LGBTQ+ movement. Learn more here.
- Celebrate. Attending virtual events happening throughout the year, hosted and including representatives from the LGBTQ+ community can help you become more involved and add value to their overall efforts.
- Support. Don’t have time to attend an event? Check out important LGBTQ+ initiatives like The Trevor Project and the Human Rights Campaign.
Understand your biases. An important part of being inclusive and understanding of all is to openly and honestly consider and discuss pervading unconscious and unintentional biases. Need some help? Catch a sneak peek of our course Exploring Unconscious Bias with Vernā Myers to learn how to recognize and interrupt bias.