EQuity through United Action League (EQUAL)

To celebrate Pride Month, EQual worked with local artist, Sean Wesley delos Reyes to highlight each of the flags showcased in Valentino Vecciettie's Intersex-Inclusive Pride Flag. 

The Original Rainbow Flag

While Gilbert Baker is often credited for the entire design of the original Rainbow Pride Flag, he turned to a number of friends to collaborate and create a symbol the LGBTQIA+ community could rally behind. Later, Baker told SF Travel the flag he created belonged to everyone:

“It was the most thrilling moment of my life. Because I knew right then that this was the most important thing I would ever do - that my whole life was going to be about the Rainbow Flag."
 

Here are some of the key figures who contributed to this flag:

• Lynn Segerblom (Faerie Argyle Rainbow): a tie-dye artist who created the dyeing process for the giant flags
• James McNamara: Seamstress who helped Baker sew the flag.

Learn More!

Read more about the rainbow flag’s origin in the Los Angeles Times article, "On the 40th anniversary..."

Reading the Rainbow provides information about the origins of the rainbow as a pride symbol:

Queer People of Color (QPOC) Pride Flag

The Queer People of Color (QPOC) Pride Flag represents solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and the intersection of the queer and Black communities. The raised fist sign represents unity, support, defiance and resistance. This is an important nod to the queer and trans people of color who seek justice, equality, and freedom from oppression in all their overlapping communities.
 

**Note if you're in the library this month, the snacks are provided by Enchilosito's Treats and SnackMagic, which are Latinx and Black owned businesses, respectively.

Learn More!

See this list for tips about how to be an ally to QPOC, as compiled by the QPOC Caucus.

Learn more about the connection between Black Lives Matter and Pride Month from the article, "What More Can We Do to Support Queer People of Color?"

Trans Pride Flag

Monica Helms, the navy veteran and transgender woman who designed the Transgender Pride Flag, told 17 Magazine the colors she chose hold a lot of meaning:

 “The light blue is the traditional color for baby boys, pink is for girls, and the white in the middle is for those who are transitioning, those who feel they have a neutral gender or no gender, and those who are intersexed.” 

Helms designed the flag so it looks the same from every position. “The pattern is such that no matter which way you fly it, it will always be correct,” she explained. “This symbolizes us trying to find correctness in our own lives.”

Before Pride evolved into the wide-scale festivals and celebrations that they’re known for today, it was a movement led by trans equal rights activists like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera. More than 50 years later, this fight is still going strong. Today, the transgender community continues to face discrimination in schools, healthcare, and employment, and the rise of harmful legislation continues to put their lives at risk. It’s critical to show support for the trans community, fight for increased trans visibility, and celebrate the accomplishments, resilience, and voices of trans people around the world.

Learn More!

For information about how you can support the trans community, please see this guide from transequality.org. 

Or the article, “How to be a Trans Ally” from Teen Vogue has great tips from three young trans adults.

Intersex Pride Flag

Intersex is a broad term that describes people who do not fit the modern interpretation of the gender binary because of sex characteristics. While the word intersex became common in the early 20th century, intersex activists have reclaimed the word and their medical autonomy.

The intersex flag is a way for the community to unite and unify under a symbol devoid of gender stereotypes. The unbroken circle is a nod to the intersex community’s continued fight for bodily autonomy against the medical history of “corrective” surgery. 

Learn More!

Here are some of the key intersex advocates:

• Karen Tang: a nationally recognized leader in women’s health and minimally invasive gynecologic surgery (MIGS). Find Dr. Tang on TikTok.
• Alicia Roth Weigel: a Forbes and New York Times published change agent, working to improve the political and social landscape for marginalized populations in the South and around the world. As a partner for the Pride Fund, Alicia raises and invests capital to grow LGBTQIA-led companies. She advocates for the rights of intersex people like her, for which she was awarded the Ceci Gratias Guardian Award by the Austin LGBT Chamber of Commerce in 2019. Check out Alicia’s podcast. 

Endnotes

There are many more flags that celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community. Learn more from Reader's Digest.

While Pride Month is celebrated in June, please remember your celebration should not stop at the end of the month. EQual offers support for members of the LGBTQIA+ community all year long and we encourage you to do the same!

This Webinar was recorded. Email EQUAL@cgcc.edu for access.

Background Information

CGCC is a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI). Beyond the enrollment marker of 25% Hispanic/Latina/o/x and 50% low income, no universal definition exists for the transition between enrolling these students and serving them. Dr. Gina Garcia (2020) coined the term, “servingness,” to describe the provision of culturally enhancing, equitable experiences for all students.

Let's Taco'bout It

At the event, EQual will launch our survey to evaluate servingness. Follow this link to take the survey. We are inviting Anthony Veliz to attend as a community panelist. We will provide copies of "Undocumented Americans," for an optional community read!

Join us for free food and educational, action-oriented conversation!

Event Details

Date: October 3, 2023
Time: 12:30 p.m.
Location: CGCC Library, The Dalles Campus Building 1 OR via Zoom (email EQUAL@cgcc.edu for the link)
 

Want to Participate?

Email EQUAL@cgcc.edu if you want more information!