Commemorating the LGBTQIA+ community goes well past Pride Month. There are many queer holidays you should know about, but unfortunately… they aren’t widely recognized as they often play second to Pride Month. However, spectrum-specific dates are just as important in making all sexual minorities feel seen, heard, and… included outside of the thirty-day mark. Beyond the multi-colored makeup and tasseled tees, every stripe of the flag deserves to be honored in its respective way.
Thankfully, equality leaders have taken their activism to new heights by conducting various celebrations for the girls, gays, and theys.
What Does LGBTQIA+ Stand For?
LGBTQIA+ is an acronym for people whose personal identities don’t fall under the heterosexual/cisgender umbrella. Over time, the initials have evolved, with different variations and the insertion of a plus sign to include other marginalized groups.
Today, the letters represent:
L = Lesbian (female-on-female attraction)
G = Gay (male-on-male attraction)
B = Bisexual (attraction to both male/female)
T = Transgender (someone who doesn’t identify as the gender they were assigned at birth)
Q = Queer/Questioning (a general term for people part of the LGBT+ community or sexually curious individuals)
I = Intersexual (a person who doesn’t fit into either of the two binary sexes)
A = Asexual (no sexual attraction to either gender)
+ = Additional orientations (pansexual, demisexual, etc.)
A List of Other Queer Holidays to Remember
- International Transgender Day of Visibility (March 31) – Created by transgender activist Rachel Crandall Crocker in 2009, this holiday aims to raise awareness about discrimination of transgender people. In 2021, President Joe Biden proclaimed the day.
- International Asexuality Day (April 6) – An annual recognition that allows asexual organizations all over the globe to come together and advocate for this often overlooked identity. It was first celebrated in 2021 and slightly differs from Ace Week in October, founded by Sara Beth Brooks in 2010.
- Lesbian Visibility Day (April 26) – This holiday was put in place to highlight social issues and strengthen support for lesbians in the male-dominated world of the LGBTQIA+ community. The holiday falls during Lesbian Visibility Week, which commenced in 1990 through the West Hollywood Lesbian Visibility Committee and the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center. In 2020, it was revitalized by DIVA magazine publisher Linda Riley.
- International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia (May 17) – Started in 2005, the initiative is dedicated to rallying for LGBTQIA+ rights and drawing attention to the adversities that members face daily.
- International Non-Binary People’s Day (July 14) – Katje Van Loon established this day in 2012 to promote equality for those who don’t conform to society’s label norms. It also takes place during Non-Binary Awareness Week.
- International Drag Day (July 16) – Founded by Adam Stewart in 2009, the observance is to celebrate drag artists and their contributions to gay culture.
- Celebrate Bisexuality Day (Sept. 23) – Bisexual rights activists Wendy Curry, Michael Page, and Gigi Raven Wilbur birthed Celebrate Bisexuality Day to honor and increase the visibility of those within the bisexual community. It was officially observed in 1999 at the International Lesbian and Gay Association Conference in Johannesburg, South Africa. It, too, occurs during Bisexual+ Awareness Week.
- National Coming Out Day (Oct. 11) – Helping kick off LGBTQ History Month, NCOD supports those “coming out of the closet,” a metaphor used to describe one’s disclosure of their sexuality. It was inaugurated in 1988 by the late Robert Eichberg and Jean O’Leary. The date pays homage to the Second National March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights.
- International Pronouns Day (Third Wednesday in October) – Launched in 2018, the day acts as a campaign to encourage respectful pronoun usage and unity work within local queer communities.
- Intersex Awareness Day (Oct. 26) – The observance (marked in 2003) sheds light on the slew of human rights issues and end the shame that intersex individuals experience. Activists Betsy Driver and Emi Koyama sparked its commemoration in 2003.
- Transgender Day of Remembrance (Nov. 20) – In 1999, activist Gwendolyn Ann Smith initiated TDoR after the death of Rita Hester, a transgender woman who was murdered a year earlier. Since then, it has operated as a day to remember people who lost their lives to transphobia-infused violence. It comes a day after the end of Transgender Awareness Week: Nov. 13 to 19.
For more, visit https://glaad.org/
Which of these holidays will you be adding to your calendar? Let us know in the comments below!
