Celebrates the history, diversity and contributions of LGBTQ+ people in the United States.
Origin and history of Pride Month
It was in June of 1969 when police raided a Greenwich Village gay bar provoked the patrons and community to stand up against oppression and discrimination. Raids like this were common, and it was not safe for many LGBTQ+ people to be open about their identities in public. As the protest spilled into the neighborhood, lesbian and gender non-conforming people confined to the Women’s House of Detention shouted through the jail’s bars encouraging the protestors on the streets below. Since then, Pride Month has commemorated the Stonewall Uprising; sought to expand inclusivity and increase visibility, activism and legislative progress; and celebrated the history, diversity and contributions of LGBTQ+ people.
The LGBTQ+ community is incredibly diverse, including people of all races, abilities, religions and countries of origin. Black and other people of color have always been at the center of the demand for fundamental rights. Black self-identified drag queen Marsha P. Johnson and transgender Latina woman Sylvia Rivera are often recognized as playing an important role in the Stonewall Uprising and other activist movements.
The importance of supporting gender-diverse people
Even though progress has been made since the 1970s, many LGBTQ+ people still face discrimination and violence, especially transgender and gender non-binary people and people of color. Currently more than 500 anti-LGBTQ+ bills that have been proposed, passed or are being considered throughout the country, many of them targeting transgender people and gender-affirming care specifically. Many of these bills are based on harmful myths about trans people and gender-affirming care and significantly impact the ability of these individuals to live safe, dignified lives. It is more important than ever to support transgender and gender non-binary people and recognize their right not just to survive but to thrive.
LGBTQ+ acronym expansion and inclusion
The acronym LGBTQ+ is a commonly used and widely understood term. There are many variations that people in the community use like LGBTQIA2S+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning, Intersex, Asexual and Two Spirit). The acronyms are used to identify different sexual orientations and gender identities. Learn more about these terms and identities.
Digital assets and posters
Email signature
Celebrate Pride Month and support your colleagues by adding an icon to your UW Medicine email signature.
Visit the UW Medicine brand site to download the signature. If you need instructions on adding an email signature, visit one of the following Microsoft Office support pages.
Plus, take the opportunity to update your pronouns in your email signature using the brand site template.
Zoom background
Events
- Pride in the Park on Saturday, June 1, from 12 to 7 p.m. in Volunteer Park.
- Pride Month Flag Raising at all UW Medicine hospitals on June 3 at noon.
- Trans Pride Seattle on Friday, June 28, from 5 to 10 p.m. in the Volunteer Park Amphitheater.
- Seattle Pride Parade on June 30 at 10 a.m. in downtown Seattle.
Resources
Honoring LGBTQ+ people should happen year-round — and we’ve compiled a list of resources to help you do just that.
Read and learn
- UW Medicine employees share: What Pride Means to Me and How We Define Pride.
- Browse books about and by the LGBTQ+ community at the UW Q Center’s library.
- Learn about UW Medicine programs including QMed, a program building community for LGBTQ+ medical students; the LGBTQ+ pathway for medical students; and the Transgender and Gender Non-Binary Health Program; plus, for UW employees, transgender resources.
- Names and pronouns matter. Learn about UW Medicine initiatives fostering belonging in gender diverse people.
- View the Department of Medicine’s Out List.
- Get advice for building resilience as a queer person.
- For allies: Learn what and what not to say when someone comes out to you and how to be a good ally.
- Get tips for how to support transgender and gender non-binary youth.
- Get information about Washington state’s LGBTQ Commission.
- Read a timeline of milestones in the LGBTQ+ liberation movement.
- Educate yourself about the diversity within the LGBTQ+ community with guides from the Human Rights Campaign.
