List of LGBT awareness periods

The following are lists of internationally recognized and domestically recognized LGBT awareness periods, i.e. awareness days, weeks and months that focus on LGBTQIA+ matters.[1]

Internationally recognized
NameDateYear StartedNotes
Agender Pride Day19 May2017A day celebrated internationally[2][3] to promote awareness of agender individuals.[4]
Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Week[5] The first full week following Valentines day (14 February), beginning on Sunday[6] 2014 A week to promote information and awareness about aromantic spectrum identities ("an identity within the LGBTQIA+ community in which someone experiences little to no romantic attraction."[7]) and the issues they face.[8] This week was first recognized from 10 to 17 November 2014, under the name Aromantic Awareness Week. In 2015, it was moved to late February and the name was changed to Aromantic Spectrum Awareness Week, to be more inclusive of all arospec identities.[9]
Aromantic Visibility Day5 June2023A day to promote the visibility of people on the aromantic spectrum.[10][11]
International Asexuality Day 6 April 2021IAD is a coordinated worldwide campaign promoting the ace umbrella, including demisexual, grey-asexual and other ace identities.[12][13][14]

The four themes of IAD are Advocacy, Celebration, Education and Solidarity.[15]

Ace WeekLast full week in October2010Week to promote awareness of those on the asexual spectrum.[16] It was founded by Sara Beth Brooks in 2010.[17][18]
Bisexual Awareness Week16-22 September2014Also referred to as BiWeek and Bisexual+ Awareness Week.[19]
Celebrate Bisexuality Day23 September1999Also referred to as Bisexual Pride Day, CBD, Bisexual Pride, and Bi Visibility Day.[20]
Genderfluid Visibility Week17-24 October2021Also referred to as Genderfluid Week, Fluid Week[21] or Genderfluid Awareness Week.[22]
Drag Day16 July2009A day that aims to celebrate and recognize the drag art all around the world.[23] Created by Adam Stewart[24] in 2009 through his Facebook fan page[25] for drag queens.[26]
International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia17 May2005The main purpose of the 17 May mobilizations is to raise awareness of violence, discrimination, abuse, and repression of LGBT communities worldwide.
International Day of PinkThe second Wednesday in April2007The International Day of Pink is a worldwide anti-bullying and anti-homophobia event[27] where participants are encouraged to wear or display a pink shirt, echoing a mass gesture of solidarity with a student subjected to homophobic bullying in Cambridge, Nova Scotia, Canada in 2007.
Intersex Awareness Day26 October1996Celebrated in October to commemorate the first intersex protest, which took place in Boston, Massachusetts.[28]
Intersex Day of Remembrance8 November[29]2005A day designed to raise awareness of the issues faced by intersex people. It marks the birthday of Herculine Barbin, a French intersex person. The event began as Intersex Solidarity Day, following an invitation issued by Joëlle-Circé Laramée, the then Canadian spokeswoman for Organization Intersex International.[30]
Lesbian Day[31]8 October1980 (NZ) or 1990 (Aus)[32]An annual day celebrating lesbian culture that originated in New Zealand and Australia,[33] but is now celebrated internationally.[34]
Lesbian Visibility Day26 April2008Annual day to celebrate, recognize, and bring visibility to lesbians.[35][36][37]
National Coming Out Day11 October1988[38]A day to celebrate the act of "coming out", i.e. when an LGBT person decides to publicly share their gender identities or sexual orientation.[39] National Coming out Day was founded in the United States by gay rights activists Robert Eichberg and Jean O' Leary on 1988 in Washington, DC, United States. By 1990 it was being celebrated in all 50 states.[40] Although still named "National Coming Out Day", it is currently observed around the world, in countries such as Canada, Germany, The Netherlands, Switzerland, and Australia also on 11 October, and in the United Kingdom on 12 October.
Non-Binary Awareness Week The week, starting Sunday[41]/Monday,[42] surrounding 14 July 2020[43][44] A week dedicated to those who do not fit within the traditional gender binary,[45] i.e. those who do not exclusively identify as a man or a woman, or who may identify as both a man and a woman, or may fall outside of these categories altogether.[46] Promoted on Twitter as @NBWeek.[47]
Non-Binary People's Day14 July2012An annual day to celebrate and bring visibility to people who are non-binary in the LGBT+ community. The date is the precise midpoint between International Men's Day and International Women's Day.[48]
Pansexual & Panromantic Awareness Day24 May[49]2015An annual day to promote awareness of, and celebrate, pansexual and panromantic identities.
Pronouns DayThe third Wednesday in October2018An annual event that seeks to make sharing, respecting and educating about personal pronouns commonplace.[50][51][52]
Trans Awareness MonthNovember[53][54]2017A month to celebrate transgender and gender nonconforming communities and to raise awareness for this community through education and advocacy activities.
Trans Awareness Week13-19 November[55]2017A week to educate about transgender and gender non-conforming people, and the issues associated with their transition and/or identity.
Transgender Day of Remembrance20 November1999Day to memorialize those who have been murdered as a result of transphobia.
Trans Day of Visibility31 March[56]2009[57]A day to celebrate the trans community in a positive light, celebrating their lives and cultural achievements. This observance date was founded in 2009 by transgender activist Rachel Crandall (Michigan, United States),[58] the head of Transgender Michigan,[59] as a reaction to the lack of a day celebrating transgender people.
Trans Parent DayThe first Sunday in November[60]2009[61]A day that celebrates life and the love between transgender parents and their children, and between parents and their transgender children.[62]
Zero Discrimination Day1 March[63]2014A United Nations (UN) recognized day[64] promoting equality before the law, and in practice, throughout all of the member countries of the UN. This day was first celebrated by the UN on 1 March 2014, launch as part of the previous year's Zero Discrimination campaign run by UNAIDS on World AIDS Day (1 December 2013).[65]

Domestically recognized

Australia
Name Date Year Started Notes
LGBT History MonthOctober1994Based on a similarly named awareness period in the United States, this is a month encouraging openness and education about LGBTI history and rights.
Mardi Gras ParadeThe first Saturday of March1978A day in the annual Mardi Gras festival held in the Australia state of New South Wales which features a pride parade, commemorating the first rally in 1978 where numerous participants were arrested by the police. The current Mardi Gras Parade maintains the original rallies' political flavour, with many of the marching groups and floats promoting LGBTQI rights issues and/or themes.
Wear it Purple DayThe final Friday of August2010A day to foster supportive, safe, empowering and inclusive environments for rainbow young people. The day was co-founded by Katherine Hudson and Scott Williams.[66] Comparable days exist in a number of other countries, including the Netherlands (Purple Friday) and the United States (Spirit Day).

Brazil
Name Date Year Started Notes
National Day of Transgender VisibilityJanuary 292004A day celebrated annually on 29 January and celebrates, since 2004, the pride, existence and resistance of the trans and travesti community within the LGBTQ+ movement in Brazil.[67][68]
National Day of Lesbian VisibilityAugust 292003An established date in Brazil created by Brazilian lesbian activists and dedicated to the date on which the 1st National Lesbian Seminar - Senale took place, on 29 August 1996.[69][70]

Canada
Name Date Year Started Notes
LGBT History MonthOctober1994Based on a similarly named awareness period in the United States, this is a month encouraging openness and education about LGBTI history and rights.

Chile
Name Date Year Started Notes
Lesbian Visibility Day9 July2015Commemorates the anniversary of Mónica Briones' murder, the first documented act of lesbophobia in Chile.

Ireland
Name Date Year Started Notes
Irish Marriage Referendum22 May2015A commemoration of Ireland legalizing same-sex marriage through a plebiscite.

Netherlands
Name Date Year Started Notes
Purple FridayThe second Friday of December2010A day aimed at reducing bullying and increasing inclusivity in schools, using a purple theme in which people are encouraged to wear purple clothes. In December 2010, COC Nederland named the second Friday of December "Paarse Vrijdag" (Dutch: Purple Friday).[71] The Gender Sexuality Alliance Network has continued to celebrate its observance annually since then.[72] Comparable days exist in a number of other countries, including Australia (Wear it Purple Day) and the United States (Spirit Day).

New Zealand
Name Date Year Started Notes
Schools Pride WeekThe second week of June2019This week is aimed at high schools and allows students to celebrate diversity. It is championed by the charity InsideOut[73] and has links to the UK-based and school-led diversity week[74]

United States
Name Date Year started Notes
Bisexual Health Awareness Month March 2014 A month to raise awareness about the bisexual community's social, economic, and health disparities, advocate for resources, and inspire actions to improve bi people's well-being.[75] Promoted on social media through #BiHealthMonth.[76]
Day of SilenceThe second Friday in April1996A student-orientated day to end the silencing effect of anti-LGBT bias. Initially created by then-student Maria Pulzetti, the first event was organized by students at University of Virginia in 1996.[77] It is currently organized by GLSEN. In 1997, one year after the day's creation, it went national, with over 100 institutions participating.[78] Whilst there has been some participation from other countries, including New Zealand and Singapore, as of 2021 it is still categorized as a "national student-led demonstration".[79]
Harvey Milk Day22 May2010Celebrated to honor Harvey Milk, assassinated politician, on his birthday. It is celebrated officially in California, Milk's home state.[80]
HIV Long-Term Survivors Awareness Day 5 June 2014 A day to highlight the resilience and strengths of people living longest with HIV and AIDS, while pointing out the challenges facing this population and demanding action to improve their quality of life.[81] It was started by Tez Anderson, founder of Let's Kick ASS (LKA)[82] and promoted on social media using #HLTSAD.[83]
LGBT History MonthOctober1994It was declared a national history month by President Barack Obama in 2009. The month was created with the intent to encourage openness and education about LGBT history and rights.
LGBT Pride MonthJune[84][85][86]June is celebrated as Pride in honor of the Stonewall Riots, though Pride events occur all year round. It also marks the month that same-sex marriage was legalized in the United States.
Pulse Night of Remembrance12 June2017Annual day of US remembrance for the loss of 49 LGBT people in the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida.[87]
Spirit DayThe third Thursday in October[88]2010Support for LGBTQ+ youth who are the victims of bullying, as well as to honor LGBTQ+ victims of bullying-related suicide. Comparable days exist in a number of other countries, including Australia (Wear it Purple Day) and the Netherlands (Purple Friday).
Stonewall Riots Anniversary28 June[89]1969A day to remember the Stonewall Riots, a reaction to the NYPD raid of the Stonewall Inn.[90] This initial event was a galvanizing force for LGBT political activism, and argued by some to be the birth of the gay rights movement, in the United States and around the world.[91][92] The world's first pride parade occurred on the 1st anniversary (28 June 1970).
Transgender History MonthAugust2024Recognized in California following the State Legislature's passage of House Resolution 57 on 6 September 2023.[93]

United Kingdom
Name Date Year Started Notes
LGBT History MonthFebruary2005Celebrated throughout February since 2005. Founded by Schools OUT UK - The LGBT+ Education Charity.

See also

References
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