Happy Pride Month!
Peace Love Revolution!
Stats and Facts
As of 2022, the Queer Community in the United States is at 7.2%.
According to Gallup, the current percentage is double what it was when Gallup first measured Queer identification a decade ago.
Currently, 5.3% of Vermont residents identify themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, queer, (LGBTQ+), just edging out Massachusetts (4.9%), California (4.9%), Oregon (4.9%) and Nevada (4.8%).
2023 Pride Theme
South Burlington School District Student Pride Groups
GSA (Gay Straight Alliance), meets monthly, has 10 high school student members and one staff member. GSA is a safe group for high school students and staff who identify as LGBTQIA+.
GSA is a welcoming group focused on a positive, caring, and safe environment where students select GSA’s focus activities.
This school year and last, GSA focused greatly on education and advocacy. For the last several years GSA, along with the Middle School QSA,
This September GSA walked in the Pride Parade in Burlington.
This Fall, 2 GSA student leaders and 2 staff members attended the Outright Vermont GSA Fall conference, (GSA has done this conference regularly for several years).
In October, GSA observed LGBTQIA+ History Month. This consisted of activities and education in the lobby throughout the week about the major events in LGBTQ+ history, the origin of the progressive pride flag, International Pronoun Day, and Spirit Day.
GSA plans activities to celebrate Pride Month in June. GSA plans to have a guest speaker, as well as educational and fun activities in the lobby during lunches.
GSA’s ongoing projects:
Sending care packages to Florida and Texas schools to share GSA’s support and encouragement for students who identify as LGBTQ+.
Collaborated with Burlington High School to plan the next Drag Show (the previous show was in the fall of 2021).
Collaborated and participated in efforts with the Student Justice Union to make positive changes at SBHS and in the LGBTQIA+ community.
QSA, (Queer Straight Alliance), has 10-20 middle school student members and one staff member, QSA meets bi-weekly and is a safe space for middle school LGBTQIA+ students to learn about and celebrate the LGBTQIA community. QSA focuses on advocacy through education and action.
QSA Activities
QSA participated in Leadership Day at the Statehouse, where students learn about advocacy, speak with their local government representatives, and are able to address a public crowd of hundreds about what matters to them.
Participated in a bake sale during town meeting day for visibility and to fundraise, where their motto is “snacks and acceptance”, and according to their adviser, Scott Carlson, they enjoyed embodying their motto!!
Made posters to post around the school to educate about LGBTQ topics.
Held discussions meetings about LGBTQ+ topics.
Gave check ins, where kids discuss how they are doing and support each other.
Hosted guest speakers including out legislators, Brian Cina and Outright employees like Jayy Covert.
Marched in the Pride Parade as a district.
Continuously works towards creating a school free of homophobia and transphobia.
Continuously works on making a school gender support plan similar to an IEP but for gender support.
Ensuring visibility!! We are here and we are human!
QSA provides safe and fun spaces for snacks and acceptance, where members always eat food together, watch videos, listen to music, play games, accept each other and celebrate all of their identities.
Queer Owned & Queer Friendly Businesses in Vermont
The National LGBT Chamber of Commerce estimates that there are 1.4 million LGBTQIA+ business owners in the United States, contributing $1.7 trillion annually to the national economy.
Vermont Queer/Queer Friendly Businesses
https://loveburlington.org/chic-full-gay
https://vtdigger.org/2022/04/03/fox-market-is-vermonts-1st-lgbtq-bar-in-15-years-what-took-so-long/
https://www.gaytravel.com/gay-guides/vermont
https://www.officiantvermont.com/gayweddingofficiantvermont
http://www.linkpink.com/vt.nav.html
https://www.nofavt.org/events/queer-botany-series-fruits-and-vegetables
https://gaylesbiandirectory.com/location/united-states/vermont/
http://oitm.org/resources/directory/
http://www.lesbianbusinesscommunity.com/united-states/vermont
Local Pride Events
https://www.pridecentervt.org/events/
https://www.vso.org/organizer/montpelier-pride-2023/
https://allevents.in/burlington-vt/lgbt-pride
https://www.eventbrite.com/d/united-states--vermont/pride/
https://allevents.in/burlington-vt/lgbt-pride
Vermont Queer Organizations
https://www.pridecentervt.org/
https://women.vermont.gov/lgbtqia
https://www.weareoutintheopen.org/
https://www.northernvermont.edu/lgbtq-information-and-resources/
Intersectional Queer Organizations
"Intersectionality is an analytic framework that addresses identify how interlocking systems of power impact those who are most marginalized in society. Taking an intersectional approach means looking beyond a person’s individual identities and focusing on the points of intersection that their multiple identities create.
This term was coined by Black feminist and legal scholar Kimberle Crenshaw to describe how individuals with multiple marginalized identities can experience multiple and unique forms of discrimination that cannot be conceptualized separately."
Black American Queer Organizations
https://itgetsbetter.org/blog/organizations-serving-black-lgbtq-community/
https://centerforblackequity.org/black-lgbtq-prides
https://www.lgbtmap.org/resource-page
https://hellogiggles.com/black-lgbtq-organizations-to-donate-to/
https://thedccenter.org/black/
https://bravespacealliance.org/
Native Indigenous Organizations
https://guides.loc.gov/lgbtq-studies/subject/native-american
Jewish American Queer Organizations
https://www.keshetonline.org/resources-and-events/
Asian American Queer Organizations
https://aapaonline.org/resources/lgbtq-aapi-resources/
https://asianamericancenter.northeastern.edu/student-programs/paaqa/
https://aapaonline.org/resources/lgbtq-aapi-resources/
https://www.glad.org/post/lgbtq-advocates-in-the-asian-american-and-pacific-islander-community/
https://thedccenter.org/organizations/categories/asian-pacific-american
https://www.rainn.org/news/resources-asian-american-native-hawaiianpacific-islander-queer-survivors
Hispanic American Organizations
https://www.hispanicfederation.org/lgbtq/
https://www.glaad.org/programs/spanishlanguage
https://lulac.org/programs/lgbt/
https://www.translatinacoalition.org/?_ga=2.14258100.2041123186.1685491581-1477388952.1685491581
Muslim American Queer Organizations
https://www.queercrescent.org/
https://www.advocatesforyouth.org/about/our-programs/muslim-youth-leadership-council-mylc/
Buddhists American Queer Organizations
Queer and Disabled Organizations
https://wid.org/12-disabled-lgbtqia-activists-advocates-who-you-need-to-know/
https://www.wearemass.org/rainbow-group
https://www.respectability.org/resources/lgbtq/
https://lgbtq.arizona.edu/sites/default/files/DisabilityResourceGuide_June2018.pdf
Queer Women Organizations
https://lesbianswhotech.org/about/
https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/the-very-queer-history-of-the-suffrage-movement.htm
Recruiting, Retaining and Developing Queer Talent
https://www.ere.net/articles/developing-an-lgbtq-friendly-hiring-process
https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1055640.pdf
https://www.joveo.com/blog/have-pride-5-ways-to-better-recruit-and-retain-lgbtqia-employees-part-1/
https://info.recruitics.com/blog/10-ways-to-ensure-your-recruitment-process-is-lgbtq-friendly
https://www.flexjobs.com/employer-blog/lgbtq-friendly-companies-attract-top-talent/
Pride Glossary of Terms
Ally | A term used to describe someone who is actively supportive of LGBTQ+ people. It encompasses straight and cisgender allies, as well as those within the LGBTQ+ community who support each other (e.g., a lesbian who is an ally to the bisexual community).
Asexual | Often called “ace” for short, asexual refers to a complete or partial lack of sexual attraction or lack of interest in sexual activity with others. Asexuality exists on a spectrum, and asexual people may experience no, little or conditional sexual attraction.
Biphobia | The fear and hatred of, or discomfort with, people who love and are sexually attracted to more than one gender.
Bisexual | A person emotionally, romantically or sexually attracted to more than one sex, gender or gender identity though not necessarily simultaneously, in the same way or to the same degree. Sometimes used interchangeably with pansexual.
Cisgender | A term used to describe a person whose gender identity aligns with those typically associated with the sex assigned to them at birth.
Coming Out | The process in which a person first acknowledges, accepts and appreciates their sexual orientation or gender identity and begins to share that with others
Gay | A person who is emotionally, romantically or sexually attracted to members of the same gender. Men, women and non-binary people may use this term to describe themselves.
Gender identity | One’s innermost concept of self as male, female, a blend of both or neither – how individuals perceive themselves and what they call themselves. One's gender identity can be the same or different from their sex assigned at birth.
Gender non-conforming | A broad term referring to people who do not behave in a way that conforms to the traditional expectations of their gender, or whose gender expression does not fit neatly into a category. While many also identify as transgender, not all gender non-conforming people do.
Genderqueer | Genderqueer people typically reject notions of static categories of gender and embrace a fluidity of gender identity and often, though not always, sexual orientation. People who identify as "genderqueer" may see themselves as being both male and female, neither male nor female or as falling completely outside these categories.
Homophobia | The fear and hatred of or discomfort with people who are attracted to members of the same sex.
Intersex | Intersex people are born with a variety of differences in their sex traits and reproductive anatomy. There is a wide variety of difference among intersex variations, including differences in genitalia, chromosomes, gonads, internal sex organs, hormone production, hormone response, and/or secondary sex traits.
Gender binary | A system in which gender is constructed into two strict categories of male or female. Gender identity is expected to align with the sex assigned at birth and gender expressions and roles fit traditional expectations.
Gender dysphoria | Clinically significant distress caused when a person's assigned birth gender is not the same as the one with which they identify.
Gender-expansive | A person with a wider, more flexible range of gender identity and/or expression than typically associated with the binary gender system. Often used as an umbrella term when referring to young people still exploring the possibilities of their gender expression and/or gender identity.
Gender expression | External appearance of one's gender identity, usually expressed through behavior, clothing, body characteristics or voice, and which may or may not conform to socially defined behaviors and characteristics typically associated with being either masculine or feminine.
Gender-fluid | A person who does not identify with a single fixed gender or has a fluid or unfixed gender identity.
Lesbian | A woman who is emotionally, romantically or sexually attracted to other women. Women and non-binary people may use this term to describe themselves.
LGBTQ+ | An acronym for “lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer” with a "+" sign to recognize the limitless sexual orientations and gender identities used by members of our community.
Non-binary | An adjective describing a person who does not identify exclusively as a man or a woman. Non-binary people may identify as being both a man and a woman, somewhere in between, or as falling completely outside these categories. While many also identify as transgender, not all non-binary people do. Non-binary can also be used as an umbrella term encompassing identities such as agender, bigender, genderqueer or gender-fluid.
Outing | Exposing someone’s lesbian, gay, bisexual transgender or gender non-binary identity to others without their permission. Outing someone can have serious repercussions on employment, economic stability, personal safety or religious or family situations.
Pansexual | Describes someone who has the potential for emotional, romantic or sexual attraction to people of any gender though not necessarily simultaneously, in the same way or to the same degree. Sometimes used interchangeably with bisexual.
Queer | A term people often use to express a spectrum of identities and orientations that are counter to the mainstream. Queer is often used as a catch-all to include many people, including those who do not identify as exclusively straight and/or folks who have non-binary or gender-expansive identities. This term was previously used as a slur, but has been reclaimed by many parts of the LGBTQ+ movement.
Questioning | A term used to describe people who are in the process of exploring their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Same-gender loving | A term some prefer to use instead of lesbian, gay or bisexual to express attraction to and love of people of the same gender.
Sex assigned at birth | The sex, male, female or intersex, that a doctor or midwife uses to describe a child at birth based on their external anatomy.
Sexual orientation | An inherent or immutable enduring emotional, romantic or sexual attraction to other people. Note: an individual’s sexual orientation is independent of their gender identity.
Transgender | An umbrella term for people whose gender identity and/or expression is different from cultural expectations based on the sex they were assigned at birth. Being transgender does not imply any specific sexual orientation. Therefore, transgender people may identify as straight, gay, lesbian, bisexual, etc.
Transitioning | A series of processes that some transgender people may undergo in order to live more fully as their true gender. This typically includes social transition, such as changing name and pronouns, medical transition, which may include hormone therapy or gender affirming surgeries, and legal transition, which may include changing legal name and sex on government identity documents. Transgender people may choose to undergo some, all or none of these processes.
https://www.hrc.org/resources/glossary-of-terms
De-Dee Loftin-Davis