LGBTQ+ Pride Month is a national holiday celebrated in the month of June, honoring the Stonewall Riots and equal rights for LGBTQ+ Americans. The Stonewall Riots took place in June of 1969 and marked the beginning of a movement to outlaw discriminatory laws and practices against LGBTQ+ Americans. Pride Month is a celebration with the focus on showing pride as part of the LGBTQ+ community and demonstrating for equal rights.
Terms to Know
Learn about defining LGBTQ+ words and vocabulary and how to explain these terms to kids.
- LGBTQ+: Acronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people in addition to community members who use different language to describe identity
- Gender Identity: How you feel regarding your gender. You can be a girl, boy, both or neither. Everyone has a gender identity.
- Cisgender: When your gender identity (how you feel) is the same as what doctors/midwives assigned to you when you were born (girl/boy or sex assigned at birth)
- Non-Binary: People who do not feel like the words “girl” or “boy” fits. They may feel like both or neither. They will sometimes use pronouns such as they/them/theirs.
- Transgender or Trans: When your gender identity (how you feel) is different than what doctors/midwives assigned to you when you were born (girl/boy or sex assigned at birth)
- Sexual Orientation: Who you love. For kids in grades 3-5, you might say who you love or are attracted to.
- Bisexual: People who love other individuals of more than one gender. For kids in grades 3-5, you might say people who love or are attracted to people of more than one gender.
- Gay: People who love other individuals of the same gender, specifically, two men. For kids in grades 3-5, you might say people who love or are attracted to people of the same gender.
- Heterosexual: People who identify as women who only love (or are attracted to) people who identify as men. Also, people who identify as men who only love (or are attracted to) people who identify as women.
- Lesbian: People who love other individuals of the same gender, specifically, two women. For kids in grades 3-5, you might say people who love or are attracted to people of the same gender.
- Pansexual: People who love other individuals of any gender. For kids in grades 3-5, you might say people who love or are attracted to people of any gender.
Suggested Booklists
These nonfiction books are an excellent starting point for young people interested in learning about the LGBTQ+ rights movement and exploring personal stories of LGBTQ+ activists.
When kids read books with characters who look and act like they do, or like their friends and families do, they develop a stronger interest in reading. We believe everyone should be able to find themselves in stories. See yourself in these picture books featuring LGBTQ+ characters who challenge traditional gender norms.
These wonderful reads focus on kids exploring who they are and how they see themselves in the world.
Other Resources
- The It Gets Better Project
- Trans Student Educational Resources
- Learn about LGBTQ+ basics
