FAIR News: the Many Faces of Pride
FAIR News: the Many Faces of Pride
Newsletter
Dear Friends of FAIR,
This month marks the 25th anniversary of LGBT Pride, the annual celebration of equality, dignity, and visibility of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people.
Few can deny that what began as an inspiring effort to honor gay liberation protests after the 1969 Stonewall riots has in recent years morphed into something quite different. Increasingly, these four weeks in June have become provocative and politically charged, often driving division, tension, and anger within and outside the LGBT community.
Many factors have contributed to this shift, yet one in particular is rarely discussed: a movement that “prides” itself on inclusivity has proven surprisingly myopic in portraying the identity, values, and interests of its members. This year, FAIR aims to change that.
A core tenet of FAIR’s mission is our belief that humans are complex and textured beings. Identity groups are not monolithic, and the LGBT community is no exception; in fact, it may be among the most diverse of all communities. It may also be the least understood.
We also believe that what we have in common is more important than what separates us, and we are often alike in ways we don’t recognize—that it is possible to celebrate our differences while still embracing our shared culture, values, and interests. Above all, we believe that LGBT people want to be seen first and foremost as individuals, not as members of a rigid identity group.
As we will explore throughout this month on FAIR’s Substack and our other platforms, LGBT individuals do not speak with one voice, nor do they all share the same values or perspectives. Like other historically underrepresented groups, their identities are conflated in a polarizing culture that encourages victimization and exacerbates differences. Their experiences are often misrepresented, depriving those outside their community the opportunity to truly understand who they are, what they believe in, and what they want.
In honor of Pride, we will present stories and perspectives from a wide range of voices that provide a more holistic, authentic, and nuanced understanding of LGBT identity and experience. From sex and family to political preference and the meaning of “pride,” we will delve deep into issues that unite this community, as well as those that cleave it.
We hope our journey this month will prove informative and enlightening, shatter stereotypes, and inspire reflection. We hope, as well, that it will create an opportunity for bridge building that we desperately need now. Ultimately, regardless of our identity, lifestyle, or lived experience, we can and must acknowledge the common humanity that binds us all.
Warmly,
Monica Harris
Executive Director, the Foundation Against Intolerance & Racism
Connect with FAIR-Minded Artists using our new FAIR Artist Directory!
This directory will serve as a resource for FAIR in the Arts members to discover peers with a shared mission to advance freedom, excellence, and humanity in the arts, and will also facilitate opportunities for professional collaboration and support between fellow FAIR artists. For more information, check out the FAQ on our website or email us at arts@fairforall.org. We look forward to hearing from you!
Teaching About Identity: Lessons From Around the World Pt. 2: The Chinese Cultural Revolution
FAIR's Teaching About Identity project explores twentieth century contexts in which teachers made grave mistakes in teaching about identity—mistakes that at the time seemed scientific, unifying, correct, and culturally necessary—but ultimately laid the foundation for inter-group hatred.
This installment focuses on the Cultural Revolution, a program of Mao Zedong designed to “refresh” Chinese culture and eliminate elements of the culture that he deemed to be backward, bourgeois, feudal, or otherwise counter-revolutionary.
Read the latest guide here.
7 Short Films by Nina Paley
Join Nina Paley and friends of FAIR in Indianapolis tonight June 7th from 6-9pm at the Circle City Industrial Complex for a mini film screening of her work. Nina has been canceled several times over and welcomes this opportunity to share her art with the community. Please support her if you are in the area!
Braver Angels National Convention
Join our friends Braver Angels in Kenosha, Wisconsin, June 27th - 29th, for their annual National Convention. The 2024 Braver Angels National Convention is a call to citizenship. Their main goals are to connect people across divides and create ways to work together to save our country.
Politics doesn’t have to be this destructive. We can find ways to disagree better. Build new friendships. Deepen our civic skills. Renew our commitments.
FAIR News Podcast
For audio versions of our FAIR News and FAIR Weekly Roundup newsletters, subscribe and listen to FAIR News Weekly on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or via RSS feed.
FAIR Educators Alliance & Other Networks
Connect with other pro-human educators through the FAIR Educators Alliance. We bring together educators from all levels to share experiences and work on developing resources that can support teachers, community members, and FAIR chapters.
Teachers, administrators, librarians, and educators of all kinds are welcome. For more information and to join any of these networks, please email educators@fairforall.org.
Join the FAIR Community
Join us, and become a member of FAIR.
Become a FAIR volunteer, or join a FAIR chapter.
Sign-up for a Welcome to FAIR Zoom information session to learn more about our mission.
Share your reviews and incident reports on our FAIR Transparency website.
I'm super disappointed. There is no "LGBT community." All of the gays and lesbians I know want nothing to do with the tran$ medical industry. Human sex is binary and immutable. It's impossible for a child to be "born in the wrong body."
Wow, really shocked at all the negative comments here. Even those with a basic working knowledge of FAIR realize how much work this organization is doing to end the medicalization of children (all under the guise of PRIDE acceptance and gender affirmation). FAIR is doing a lot to raise the voices of people who have transitioned as adults (like Zander Keig), but who do not buy into the gender ideology rhetoric. While our mainstream media continues to ignore the CASS report, they are holding conferences on it.
Other notable groups to check out are the LGB Alliance and the LGBT Courage Coalition. They are all working to bring back common sense and social norms. ie. Safeguarding women only spaces and stopping the sexualization of children.