Talent Citizen celebrates Pride Month this June—a time to uplift and honor the history, contributions, and trailblazers of the LGBTQIA+ community. We found articles and resources that highlight LGBTQIA+ stories, leaders, and organizations. Our learning through these pieces inspired conversations and reflections within our team and are helping to inform the work we do with our mission-driven partners across the nonprofit and higher education sectors.
Resources we are finding especially relevant and informative this month are:
As attacks to the LGBTQIA+ community intensify in the U.S. and around the world, it’s crucial to understand history and how the pursuit of equality has been an ongoing fight for decades. This site on the Library of Congress website helps to preserve the community’s contributions to history, housing extensive LGBTQIA+ materials like books, posters, and manuscripts. This interactive resource is especially insightful and contains photographs of key moments that help visualize the history of Pride Month.
Everywhere Is Queer, a Portland-based app created by Charlie Sprinkman, connects queer-friendly businesses with the LGBTQIA+ community worldwide. The app maps queer-friendly businesses and enables users to find supportive spaces where they can be their true selves, which is especially important in more rural areas or states where anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation is rampant. We were excited to read that the app has been highly successful since its launch in February 2024, with more than 75,000 downloads, and that it’s even providing job opportunities through a job board feature on the app.
The NBJC and HIT Strategies conducted a nationwide survey to explore how Black LGBTQIA+ individuals are perceived within the Black community. The survey found that a majority of Black people support increased protection for Black LGBTQIA+ individuals, especially youth, and that exposure to compelling stories can shift passive allies toward active support. The study also revealed data and insights about both the challenges and opportunities for advocacy efforts, which will inform other organizations’ initiatives like the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR).
There are an estimated 1.6 million transgender and non-binary people in the U.S., and many continue to face discrimination, transphobia, and limited access to essential services. Despite these challenges, many individuals live happy, supported lives within their communities and chosen families, and programs like HRC’s Trans Justice Initiative play a critical role. These programs empower transgender and non-binary participants and help foster prosperity and progress in participants’ communities. Testimonials like the ones shared on this page uplift transgender and non-binary leaders’ successes, while helping to combat transphobia and violence.
