Happy Pride Month!
June is Pride Month! You may remember that in October (i.e. LGBTQ+ History Month) we shared some statistics about the intersection of the disability and LGBTQ+ communities. By analyzing the data collected in the 2020 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), the Human Rights Campaign found:
- 1 in 3 (36%) of LGBTQ+ adults reported having a disability
- More than 35% of cisgender LGBTQ+ adults reported having a disability
- Over half (52%) of transgender adults identified as having a disability
Additionally, data from 2019 supports that 3 - 5 million LGBTQ+ people identify has having a disability. That means that 42 - 55% of persons with a disability are also LGBTQ+.
Why does this intersection of identities matter? As sexual health educators and disability advocates, we recognize that in order for our sex education to be disability-inclusive, it also needs to be LGBTQ+ inclusive. Inclusivity is intersectional. We are all human beings who have a right to comprehensive sexual health education!
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Resources throughout the newsletter are labeled as follows:
[t]=text [v]=video [a]=audio [l]=list [w]=website
[v] What's Up WID: LGBTQIA+ and Disability Intersectionality
[w] Life at the Intersection of Disability and LGBTQ+
[w] Pride Month Too Often Overlooks LGBTQ Members with Disabilities
[w] Activists and Events from Queer Disabled History This timeline was created by Maddie Fowler and Gracee Wallace to outline the intersection between the LGBTQ+ and disability community throughout history.
Disability-inclusive Pride Organizations:
[w] Blind LGBT Pride International
[w] Rainbow Alliance of the Deaf
[w] ParaPride
[w] Out Spoken
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Tip: Use YouTube's media player controls to make videos more accessible. Find out how at the links below:
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RVA: Endless Summer of Pride
- Virginia Pride is proud to announce our 2023 Endless Summer of Pride to celebrate RVA's LGBTQ community! We will launch a series of more than 20 events at the start of Pride Month on Jun 1 that will extend through the end of September, culminating in VA Pridefest 2023 on Saturday, September 23 which will be bigger and better than ever!
- June 1 - September 23
- Endless Summer of Pride Event
Pride Month Kickoff at MJ's Tavern
- Join the Tavern staff, Stonewall Sports, and Hampton Roads Pride as we kick off Pride month Tavern Style. Drag Queens, Bands, DJ's Food and Drink, dunk tans and more. This year it is a 2 day event, outside activates will be from 11 am until 8pm Both Days. Did We mention Lady Bunny.....She will be here live and on stage on Sunday the 4th. more details to follow. Mark your Calendar. If you are interested in a spot for your group or craft items send an email to bar@mjtavern.com.
- June 3 - 4, 11:00am - 8:00pm
- Pride Month Kickoff Info
Loudon Pride Festival
- The Loudoun Pride Festival is back and bigger than ever for 2023! This year we are ready to welcome nearly 3,000 attendees and over 100 businesses to share in the fun celebrating the Queer community in Loudoun County! To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Equality Loudoun, we will be celebrating through the decades on the Rainbow Stage with our headliners- The Reagan Years, Crash the Limo, and the Drag-stravaganza! featuring Anja Dick and many more
- June 4, 1:00 - 7:00pm
- Pride Festival Info
Shenandoah LGBTQ+ Center Pride Outdoors Weekend
- Staunton Pride will be hosting a group camping and outdoors activity weekend on June 9-11th, at Sherando Lake Recreation Area. Folks can choose to camp one or two nights -- all in a safe, inclusive, and affirming environment.
- June 9 - 11 @ 1307 Sherando Lake, VA
- Registration and Details
Pride Prom: Forever Young
- FAHASS Pride Center and Fredericksburg Pride are proud to present our FIRST Pride Prom: Forever Young! This is an exciting opportunity for 21+ members of the LGBTQIA+ community and their allies to come together and celebrate in a safe and affirming space. Enjoy a night of dancing, music, and fun as we show off our vibrant pride! There will even be a Prom King & Queen crowned at the end of the night. Join us for a night that you won't forget!
- June 10, 6 - 10:00pm
- Pride Prom
PrideFest 'BreakFree 23'
- PrideFest is the largest annual LGBT festival in Virginia and the City of Norfolk’s largest one-day festival! Accessibility: Town Point Park is fully accessible to individuals with disabilities. ASL interpretation will be provided from the Main Stage.
- June 24, 12 - 8:00pm
- Pride Festival Info
Pride Night Social & Fundraiser with Friendly City Safe Space
- PrideFest is the largest annual LGBT festival in Virginia and the City of Norfolk’s largest one-day festival! Accessibility: Town Point Park is fully accessible to individuals with disabilities. ASL interpretation will be provided from the Main Stage.
- June 28, 8 - 11:00pm
- Pride Night Social
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Farewell from YAB
Dear reader,
The Youth Advisory Board at the Disability-inclusive Sexual Health Network lasted for over two years, since April, 2021. We are a group of advocates from the disability community who provide feedback and guidance based on our expertise and lived experiences, both to DSHN and our partners across Virginia. As we come to a close, we want to highlight the projects we have accomplished:
- 40 group meetings and three summit workshops
- Feedback to over 8 partners across Virginia
- 5 published videos (On the DSHN website and YouTube)
- Four public-facing events or competitions:
- Visibility Fest Film Panel
- AHI Conference
- TeenHealth360 Competition (first place group submission)
- The People’s Sex Ed Autism and LGBTQ+ workshop
- Over 34 social media posts (Found on Instagram or Facebook)
- 13 Newsletter pieces and 2 research blog posts
- 10 YAB-created presentations
Even more importantly, together we created a community where we could learn from each other and share about our experiences to improve the lives of others. We made group agreements to establish a safe space where every member’s voice would be valued. We discussed a lot of the challenges we had faced in relationships and sexual health due to societal stigma or barriers. We collaborated as a team, each member with a unique experience of disability. Ultimately we produced work that is inclusive and useful for a diversity of disabilities and identities.
After discussing together, the final, greatest message we hope future organizations will take away, is that efforts serving the disability community MUST be led by disabled people. There are many reasons for this. People with disabilities will often discover gaps or areas to improve that may not occur to nondisabled people, simply because we have experienced these things ourselves. That means work that is led by disabled perspectives will ultimately better serve our community. Additionally, having only nondisabled people as leaders of efforts serving those with disabilities recreates a power dynamic in society that has historically contributed to our disempowerment. Disabled people should not only be consultants, but leaders of efforts with significant ownership and decision-making power.
We have learned it is critical that we pay people with disabilities for their time and expertise. For some of us on the team, this was our very first paying job, and working at YAB showed us that we are worthy of getting paid for our input. In addition to payment, additional benefits such as networking and career-building opportunities are important to help us be able to develop our own careers and voices. The perspectives of disabled people are a fundamental part of improving our public health efforts, and deserve compensation.
Finally, we urge those reading this letter to access our portfolio of work and to put the knowledge we have generated into practice. Our work will stay alive as long as people are willing to use these resources. We offer these resources as a simple first step to orient your own work towards the perspectives of advocates with disabilities.
Kind regards,
DSHN Youth Advisory Board
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Tips for People with Disabilities Attending Pride Events
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Check the schedule ahead of time.
Not every space at every event is accessible. Be sure to bring along a flyer or look up the schedule to plan for travel time and stay organized about where and when each event is happening.
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Map out helpful locations and prepare.
If possible, locate accessible bathrooms and medical tents. If you have food sensitivities, be sure to have any precautionary medications or materials on hand.
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Establish a safe word.
While Pride events are wonderful places for meeting and communing with allies and other members of the community, they can be overwhelming. Be sure to establish a safe word with your caregiver/friends that lets them know when you need a break from the noise and crowds.
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Check if local disability groups are attending!
Sometimes Pride events will have local disability organizations at their events! Be sure to check out vendors and disability events!
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