5 Accessible Ways to Celebrate Pride Month
Even though Pride Month is coming to an end, Pride continues throughout your life and the years! And I thought, what better way to talk about accessibility and Pride than today?
Hey guys!!
Today, Iām going to discuss some accessible ways to celebrate Pride Month. Disabled people are an important part of the LGBTQIA+ community. They enrich pride events and marches. They celebrate and have fun during Pride! There are 3 to 5 million disabled people who identify with the LGBTQ+ Community. (2022) 45.1% of LGBTQIA+ youth have disabilities (2024). Approximately ā of disabled people are LGBTQ+ (2019).
Pride should be accessible for all so that people can celebrate within and outside of their homes! Even though events are getting better at being accessible, disabled people still find it hard to participate in discussions and events due to the inaccessibility of events and the ableism they face. Here are 5 ways to celebrate Pride!!
1. Virtual Pride Events and Webinars:
Participate in online Pride parades, webinars, and panel discussions. Many organizations, such as the Bi Pan Library stream events live on social media platforms or host Zoom events, making it easy for people to join from anywhere. There are many workshops to learn and support the LGBTQIAIA + community.
Ensure these events provide closed captioning and sign language interpretation for inclusivity.
2. Start or Join Social Media Campaigns
Join or create social media campaigns to spread awareness and show support. Use hashtags like #PrideMonth, #LoveIsLove, #Disabledpride, and #Pride2024 to connect with a broader audience.
Share educational content, personal stories, and supportive messages. This will allow everyone to engage, interact, and participate with fellow LGBTQIA + individuals and allies.
3. Inclusive Art and Craft Projects:
Create and display Pride-themed art, such as painting, drawing, or digital art. This can be done individually or as a group activity in community centers or online.
Host virtual art shows or craft sessions where participants can create and share their work.
4. Pride-Themed Movie or Book Club:
Organize a virtual movie night or book club focusing on LGBTQIA+ themes and stories. Choose accessible films or books available with subtitles, audiobooks, or large print versions.
Facilitate discussions about the content, allowing for inclusive and diverse perspectives. This ensures that disabled people will be involved in the discussions.
5. Accessible Community Service and Support:
Volunteer for or donate to LGBTQIA+ organizations, such as GLADD, that focus on accessibility and inclusivity. This could include offering your time to help with virtual events, providing financial support, or contributing resources. You can attend virtual events and spread the message to family and friends. There are many organizations within and outside of the US. Some UK organizations are ParaPride and Deaf Rainbow. You can find many organizations and support them and their mission.
Promote and support local businesses owned by LGBTQ+ individuals and LGBTQ+ disabled individuals.
These ensure that Pride celebrations are inclusive and accessible, allowing everyone to participate and show their support for the LGBTQIA+ community. People can watch documentaries, listen to audiobooks, have a dance party by themselves in their wheelchairs or crutches or moving however they can, or with friends listening to LGBTQIA+ artists, and follow LGBTQIA+ and disabled content creators. Though Pride Month is almost over, pride continues! People can celebrate pride at any time by watching or listening/reading LGBTQIA shows, movies, and books, or going to events to learn about the community. Everyone deserves the right to be themselves and the access to participate in events. Pride is for everyone!
Love is Love!
Discussion Question: Can you think of additional ways that Pride could be accessible?
Love, Enable Everything
Sources
chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://hrc-prod-requests.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/2024-Disabled-LGBTQ-Youth-Report.pdf
https://glaad.org/disabilities/
chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://media.glaad.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/20104853/LGBT-People-With-Disabilities.pdf
