Important Dates
International Holocaust Remembrance Day - January 27th
The United Nations General Assembly designated January 27 as an annual, international day of remembrance, by official resolution on November 1, 2005. The resolution urges every member nation to honor the memory of Holocaust victims and encourages the development of educational programs about Holocaust history as part of the resolve to help prevent future acts of genocide. The UN resolution rejects denial of the Holocaust, and condemns discrimination and violence based on religion or ethnicity. http://www.un.org/holocaustremembrance/
Black Lesbian History Month - February
Gladys Bentley was a popular Blues singer during The Harlem Renaissance.
Barbara Jordan was a congresswoman from Texas
You may have never heard of Mable Hampton, but she was an out proud lesbian from the 1920s.
Black History Month - February
Black History Month was implemented in 1976 as a month long celebration for Americans to recognize the diversity and richness of African American history and achievement. It first began in 1926 as Negro History Week and was celebrated to honor Frederick Douglas and Abraham Lincoln. Carter G. Woodson, who was upset that schools did not teach Black education, is responsible for the founding of this historical month. http://www.history.com/minisites/blackhistory/
National Native HIV/AIDS Awareness - March 20th
HIV is affecting thousands of American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN). AI/AN have the third highest rate of AIDS diagnosis in the United States, despite having the smallest population. AI/AN people with AIDS are likely to be younger than non-AI/AN people with AIDS. AI/ANs also have the shortest time between AIDS diagnosis and death.
Nat Youth Violence Prevention Week - March
The National Association of Students Against Violence Everywhere (S A V E ) and The Guidance Group are proud to be founding partners of the National Youth Violence Prevention Campaign. The goal of this campaign is to raise awareness and to educate students, teachers, school administrators, counselors, school resource officers, school staff, parents, and the public on effective ways to prevent or reduce youth violence.
During this week-long national education initiative, various activities will demonstrate the positive role young people can have in making their schools and communities safer. With the support of several national premier youth-serving organizations, each day of the week will focus on a specific violence prevention strategy. These include promoting respect and tolerance, anger management, resolving conflicts peacefully, supporting safety, and uniting in action. Campaign "Strategy Sponsors", including the Teaching Tolerance, American School Counselor Association, Association For Conflict Resolution, National Youth Court Center, and Youth Service America, will offer activities, information, and spokespersons to support each day's focus through this website, www.nyvpw.org.
The campaign is also striving to unite communities in their efforts to address youth violence by encouraging participating schools to host in-school violence prevention conferences on March 30th. In addition to offering workshops on various prevention strategies and recognizing local efforts by those who are effectively working to reduce youth violence, these conferences are intended to provide an opportunity to establish local community roundtables that will develop action plans to reduce youth violence throughout the year. Such roundtables, which bring together each sector of the community, are the inspiration for the campaign slogan, "Building Safer Communities...Peace By Peace!"
To further encourage community-wide participation in the event, campaign founders National S A V E (Students Against Violence Everywhere) and The Guidance Group have recruited a number "Sector Sponsors" who will bring their unique expertise to the campaign. These groups are providing leadership to various community sectors represented on our community wheel, such as social service agencies, service organizations, and the media. The growing list of Sector Sponsors include the National Association Of Student Councils, National Education Association's Health Information Network, National Association Of Social Workers, National Association of School Safety and Law Enforcement Officers, United Religions Initiative, and YouthNOISE.
Within this website, you will find the tools you need to coordinate and promote this important initiative. We hope that you will use the information provided here as a general guideline for planning, then tailor it to your unique needs and resources of your school and community.
It is our pleasure to invite you to join this nationwide effort to show that our youth and our communities are committed to being violence-free!
Women's History Month - March
Women’s History Month began in 1987 when the National Women's History Project petitioned Congress to declare a month in which women are remembered and recognized for their accomplishments. This month is a time for schools, workplaces, and communities to obtain more detailed information and offer programs recognizing women's history.
http://www.nwhp.org/whm/index.php
Women's History Project - March
The National Women's History Project, founded in 1980, is an educational nonprofit organization. Our mission is to recognize and celebrate the diverse and historic accomplishments of women by providing information and
educational materials and programs.
The overarching theme for March 2010 is Writing Women Back into History
In 2010, in celebration of our 30th Anniversary, we will be highlighting themes from previous years. Each of these past themes recognizes a different aspect of women’s achievements, from ecology to art, and from sports to politics.
The history of women often seems to be written with invisible ink. Even when recognized in their own times, women are often not included in the history books.
A list of all the women who have been honored for National Women's History Week and National Women's History Month:
National LGBT Health Awareness Week - March
National LGBT Health Awareness Week is a project of the National Coalition for LGBT Health and is dedicated to encouraging members of the LGBT community to be aware of personal healthcare needs and to take action to address those needs. Annually, one week in March is designated to highlight the health care needs of the LGBT community.
Holocaust Remembrance Day - April 11th
2010 Sunday, April 11 -- The 27th of Nissan was chosen, which falls beyond Passover but within the time span of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising. Orthodox Jews still did not like this date because it was a day of mourning within the traditionally happy month of Nissan. As a final effort to compromise, it was decided that if the 27th of Nissan would affect Shabbat (fall on Friday or Saturday), then it would be moved to the following Sunday. http://www.un.org/holocaustremembrance/emainpage.shtml
Sexual Assault Awareness Month - April
Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network is the nation's largest anti-sexual assault organization. RAINN operates the National Sexual Assault Hotline and carries out programs to prevent sexual assault, help victims and ensure that rapists are brought to justice. In 2005, NASW partnered with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC), Family Violence Prevention Fund, American Medical Association (AMA), College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and state and federal government offices to promote the prevention of sexual violence. As reported by the CDC, the survivors of sexual violence encounter significant problems that are both long and short term. It’s About Time to Prevent Sexual Violence: Speak Out. Click here (http://www.socialworkers.org/governance/cmtes/ncowi.asp) for more information on our National Committee on Women’s Issues. For more information on sexual violence or on CDC’s research and program activities, visit www.cdc.gov/injury or www.nsvrc.org
National Day of Silence - April
The Day of Silence is an annual event held to bring attention to anti-LGBT bullying, harassment and discrimination in schools. Students and teachers nationwide will observe the day in silence to echo the silence that LGBT and ally students face everyday. The Day of Silence is one of the largest student-led actions in the country.
Day of Silence at IU: http://iudos.tumblr.com/
Older Americans Month - May
Getting older can - and should - be the most rewarding time of our lives. But it takes some work. Almost all seniors have challenges as they age - health issues, loss of friends and family, struggles with retirement income - not to mention our society's tendency to value youth over age and experience. But for the estimated 3 million GLBT seniors in the U.S. today, getting older is more complicated still.
Asian Pacific American Heritage Month - May
Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month was enacted by Public Law 102-450 on October 28, 1992. The purpose of the law was to honor the achievements of Asian/Pacific Americans and to recognize their contributions to the United States. This recognition was the culmination of Jeanie Jew's efforts in the 1970's to establish Asian Pacific American Heritage Week. Following the United States bicentennial in 1976, Jew realized that Asian Pacific Americans were ". . .were excluded from those stories during celebrations of the country's bicentennial. We were literally ignored even though we were part of building this country." President George Bush declared Asian Pacific American Heritage Month in 1992. http://www.kqed.org/topics/history/heritage/apa/resources.jsp
National Asian and Pacific Islander (API) HIV/AIDS Awareness Day - May 19th
May 19 is National Asian and Pacific Islander (API) HIV/AIDS Awareness Day. TThe Banyan Tree Project --a national campaign to fight HIV/AIDS stigma and discrimination in API communities—is the lead for this day.
The Facts
According to the CDC, the number of APIs living with AIDS has climbed by more than 10 percent in each of the last 5 years. Sixty-seven percent of API men living with HIV/AIDS in 2005 are men who have had sex with other men. Eighty percent of API women living with HIV/AIDS in 2005 were infected through heterosexual contact.
International Day against Homophobia - May 17th
ILGA, the International Lesbian and Gay Association and IGLYO, the International Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer Youth and Student Organisation are happy that the international LGBT community has managed to set up an International Day against Homophobia and would like to reiterate its belief in the importance of keeping this day, our day, in the public sphere so as to ensure that everyone can keep contributing to the success of the day.
Gay & Lesbian Pride Month - June
Gay and Lesbian Pride Month http://usgovinfo.about.com/library/weekly/blgaylesproc.htm As the movement for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender equal rights has grown over the years, so have Pride Events and InterPride. As the events have become more international in scope, the organization changed its name to the International Association of Lesbian and Gay Pride Coordinators. By that time delegates from Canada, Mexico and the United Kingdom were attending the conference.
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Book Month June
"Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Book Month" was created to increase the recognition of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender writing. Begun in 1992 by the Publishing Triangle, June was selected in honor of the anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall Riot in New York City. Early on the morning of June 28, 1969, the clientele of a gay bar, the Stonewall Inn, rioted after the club was raided by the police. The riot was followed by several days of demonstrations. It was this brave resistance to police harassment that kick-started the gay pride movement in the United States. President Clinton issued a Presidential Proclamation for June as Gay and Lesbian Pride Month in 1999 and 2000, but President Bush declined to declare it in 2001. Libraries, bookstores, publishers and bibliophiles everywhere are invited to form a chorus line and celebrate with the community." ~Chase's Calendar of Events 2003.
Juneteenth - World Wide Celebration - June 19th
Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States. From its Galveston, Texas origin in 1865, the observance of June 19th as the African American Emancipation Day has spread across the United States and beyond. Today Juneteenth commemorates African American freedom and emphasizes education and achievement. It is a day, a week, and in some areas a month marked with celebrations, guest speakers, picnics and family gatherings. It is a time for reflection and rejoicing. It is a time for assessment, self-improvement and for planning the future. Its growing popularity signifies a level of maturity and dignity in America long over due. In cities across the country, people of all races, nationalities and religions are joining hands to truthfully acknowledge a period in our history that shaped and continues to influence our society today. Sensitized to the conditions and experiences of others, only then can we make significant and lasting improvements in our society.
National HIV Testing Day - June 27th
Nearly one million Americans are living with HIV and more than 40 million people around the world are infected. Scientific and public understanding of the disease has improved significantly. Better treatment and care options exist, and people living with HIV/AIDS are living longer than ever before. And while still inadequate to the huge need, government and community based programs have helped develop and fund systems of care, prevention, research, housing and other essential services.
Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots June 27th
Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots June 27th -- On Friday evening, June 27, 1969, the New York City tactical police force raided a popular Greenwich Village gay bar, the Stonewall Inn. Raids were not unusual in 1969; in fact, they were conducted regularly without much resistance. However, that night the street erupted into violent protest as the crowds in the bar fought back. The backlash and several nights of protest that followed have come to be known as the Stonewall Riots.
Prior to that summer there was little public expression of the lives and experiences of gays and lesbians. The Stonewall Riots marked the beginning of the gay liberation movement that has transformed the oppression of gays and lesbians into calls for pride and action. In the past twenty-five years we have all been witness to an astonishing flowering of gay culture that has changed this country and beyond, forever.
Suicide Prevention Week - September
Suicide Prevention Week The Trevor Project operates the only nationwide, around-the-clock crisis and suicide prevention helpline for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth. If you or a friend are feeling lost or alone call The Trevor Helpline. There is hope, there is help.. http://www.suicidology.org
Celebrate Bisexuality Day – September 23rd
Celebrate Bisexuality Day – September 23rd: This event is observed annually by members of the bisexual community and their allies. The goal of Celebrate Bisexuality Day is to raise visibility and awareness about an often overlooked or misunderstood community.
Tired of the heterosexual AND the homosexual assumptions, BiNet USA's Wendy Curry of Maine, Michael Page of Florida and Gigi put their heads together (in cyberspace) and came up with the idea of putting bisexuality on the map. Claim a day for bisexual people! Claim a visibility day for bisexuality! History: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celebrate_Bisexuality_Day
Resources: http://www.biresource.net
National Hispanic-Latino Heritage Month (Sept. 15-Oct. 15)
Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated from September 15th through October 15th. It is a national endeavor which celebrates and recognizes the rich cultural influence of Hispanics throughout the United States. This event was initiated by Congress more than twenty years ago as National Hispanic Heritage Week and was expanded to a month in 1989. During this month America celebrates Hispanic cultures, achievements, and heritage by commemorating a number of historical events.
Deaf Awareness Week - Last week in September
Deaf Awareness Week http://www.nad.org The Rainbow Alliance of the Deaf (RAD) is a nonprofit organization established in 1977. The purpose of this Alliance is to establish and maintain a society of Deaf Gays and Lesbians to encourage and promote the educational, economical, and social welfare; to foster fellowship; to defend our rights; and advance our interests as Deaf Gay and Lesbian citizens concerning social justice; to build up an organization in which all worthy members may participate in the discussion of practical problems and solutions related to their social welfare. RAD has over twenty chapters in the United States and Canada. Held Last week in September.
GLBT History Month - October
In the 1990's, teachers and community organizations determined that a month should be designated for GLBT history. They chose October because public schools are in session and traditions, such as National Coming Out Day, occur then.
GLBT History Month is endorsed by GLAAD, the Human Rights Campaign, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, the National Education Association, and other national organizations. In 2006, Equality Forum assumed responsibility for GLBT History Month.
Diversity Awareness Month - October
Diversity Awareness Month - October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. This annual observance, designed to recognize the contributions of workers with disabilities, began in 1988 with the Presidential Proclamation of Public Law 100-630 (Title III, Sec 301a). This law replaced "National Employ the Handicapped Week," which had been celebrated annually since 1945 during the first week in October.
Domestic Violence Awareness Month - October
Domestic Violence Awareness Month - October - Domestic Violence is a pattern of coercive behavior in which one person attempts to control another through threats or actual use of tactics, which may include any or all of the following: physical, sexual, verbal and psychological abuse. Domestic Violence affects every community across the country, regardless of ethnic group, culture, or background. People of all ages, income levels, faiths, sexual orientation, gender, and education levels experience domestic violence. Domestic violence isolates the person being abused and can rob inner strength, feelings of self-worth and the ability to make personal choices. Often people experiencing abuse begin to feel responsible for the abuse. Domestic Violence is not a private matter, a family problem, a domestic "squabble" or a "fight." It is not a momentary loss of temper or the abuse of drugs and alcohol. Abusers choose to use tactics of violence repeatedly to gain power and control. Exposure to domestic violence traumatizes children and can destroy their ability to feel safe in the world as well as cause them to feel responsible for the abuse. Physical and sexual violence against a family member or intimate partner is a crime and perpetrators can be arrested and prosecuted. Ending domestic violence requires a social, political, and economic environment to ensure that battered women are supported and batterers are held accountable. Everyone must be part of the solution.
National Coming Out Day - October 11th
National Coming Out Day - October 11th
National Coming Out Day is an international event which gives gay, lesbian and bisexual people the opportunity to "come out" to others about their sexuality. It also provides a means of increasing the visibility of gay people. In the United States, the day is facilitated by the Human Rights Campaign's National Coming Out Project (NCOP).
The first National Coming Out Day was held on October 11, 1988. This date was chosen for the annual event in commemoration of the 1987 March on Washington for Lesbian and Gay Rights. It also marks the anniversary of the first visit of the AIDS Memorial Quilt to Washington, D. C.
Many communities and college campuses sponsor activitities such as dances, film festivals, workshops, literature booths, and rallies on National Coming Out Day. History: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Coming_Out_Day
Resources: http://www.hrc.org/issues/coming_out.asp
Ally Week
Ally Week - October 17-21
Allies play a vital role in making schools safer for all students, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity/expression. In fact, the first Gay-Straight Alliance was the idea of a straight ally.
Students created Ally Week as a way to build upon the unifying work GSAs do across the country by encouraging people to be allies against anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment in schools. Whether you belong to a GSA or not, Ally Week is the perfect time for you and your friends to sign the Ally Pledge.
Intersex Awareness Day October 26th
Intersex Awareness Day October 26th. This is an opportunity to raise awareness of the Intersex community. “Intersex” is a general term used for a variety of conditions in which a person is born with a reproductive or sexual anatomy that doesn’t seem to fit the typical definitions of female or male, a person born with genitals that seem to be in-between the usual male and female types, or a person born with mosaic genetics, so that some of their cells have XX chromosomes and some of them have XY.
Veteran’s Day November 11th
Veteran’s Day November 11th In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day with the following words: "To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…"
International Day of Tolerance November 16th
International Day of Tolerance November 16th In 1996, the General Assembly invited Member States to observe the International Day for Tolerance on 16 November, with activities directed towards both educational establishments and the wider public (resolution 51/95 of 12 December). This action came in the wake of the United Nations Year for Tolerance, 1995, proclaimed by the Assembly in 1993 (resolution 48/126). The Year had been declared on the initiative of the General Conference of UNESCO. On 16 November 1995, the UNESCO member States had adopted the Declaration of Principles on Tolerance and Follow-up Plan of Action for the Year. The 2005 World Summit Outcome document (A/RES/60/1), outlines the commitment of Heads of State and Government to advance human welfare, freedom and progress everywhere, as well as to encourage tolerance, respect, dialogue and cooperation among different cultures, civilizations and peoples.
Transgender Day of Remembrance
The Transgender Day of Remembrance was set aside to memorialize those who were killed due to anti-transgender hatred or prejudice. The event is held in November to honor Rita Hester, whose murder in 1998 kicked off the “Remembering Our Dead” web project and a San Francisco candlelight vigil in 1999. Since then, the event has grown to encompass memorials in dozens of cities across the world.
International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women - November 25
International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (25 November) In December 1999, the 54th session of the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 54/134 declaring November 25th the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. The origins of November 25th go back to 1960, when the three Mirabal sisters from the Dominican Republic were violently assassinated for their political activism. The sisters, known as the "Unforgettable Butterflies," became a symbol of the crisis of violence against women in Latin America. November 25th was the date chosen to commemorate their lives and promote global recognition of gender violence, and has been observed in Latin America since the 1980s.
American Indian Heritage Month - November
American Indian Heritage Month – November In many American Indian traditions, there were individuals who entered into same-sex relationships, who were considered holy and treated with the highest respect and acceptance. They were the historians, the healers, and people of empowerment. They possessed a delicate balance of male and female “spirits”, were often honored for being unique and having a different spiritual calling. One of the important functions they provided was as mediators between the spirit world and physical world.
World AIDS Day – December 1st
World AIDS Day – December 1st -- About the Day: World AIDS Day is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection. AIDS has killed more than 25 million people, with an estimated 38.6 million people living with HIV, making it one of the most destructive epidemics in recorded history. The World Health Organization established World AIDS Day in 1988. In 2007, the estimated number of persons living with HIV worldwide was 33.2 million and there were 2.1 million AIDS deaths.
Human Rights Day December 10
The tremendous irreparable damage and loss of valuable human lives in the Second World War shook the whole planet! Besides myriads of priceless lives lost, the world witnessed probably the most macabre human rights violation during the time. The war was a wake up call in a way, for the entire human race. In 1945, the founding member countries of the then newly established United Nations, join hands to draft many solid laws to promote and protect the primary human rights of its citizens. In 1948, after a lapse of 3 years, the combined efforts of these counties paid off in the form of proclamation of "Universal Declaration of Human Rights" by United Nations’ General Assembly. This was the declaring which established that respect for human rights and human modesty "is the pillar of freedom, peace and justice in the world." Thereafter in 1950, the UN called on all member States and organizations around the globe to commemorate World Human Rights Day on 10th of December every year.
National Bullying Prevention Month
October is National Bullying Prevention Month, a project of PACER Center. It's a time when communities nationwide can unite to raise awareness of bullying prevention by using resources at PACER.org/bullying.
"To make a significant impact on bullying, we need people across the country to take action and join the movement," said Julie Hertzog, director PACER's National Center for Bullying Prevention, which sponsors the event. "There are 160,000 children staying home from school each day for fear of bullying, but working together, we can make a difference."
Everyone can find a way to join the cause at PACER.org/bullying. Students, educators, families, and organizations can use the free, creative resources at the site to address bullying and help create a culture that no longer accepts bullying.
