Diversity News

20/10/2025

Meet Adam Mac — the fearless gay country singer paying homage to Elton John & Boy George

The talented musician is proudly representing gay people from the South.

20/10/2025

20/10/2025

In the segregated South of the 1950s, two brothers — Carl and Ronald McNair — grew up in Lake City, South Carolina. From an early age, Ronald was fascinated by science and learning. One afternoon in 1959, nine-year-old Ronald walked into the local public library looking for advanced science books. The librarian refused to serve him because he was Black.

Ronald calmly placed his books on the counter and waited. The police were called, as was his mother. In the end, Ronald was allowed to borrow the books — a small victory that left a lasting mark on him and everyone who witnessed it.

Ronald McNair never stopped reading. He went on to earn a PhD in Physics from MIT in 1976, becoming one of the first African Americans to receive such a degree. In 1984, he joined NASA and flew aboard the Space Shuttle Challenger as a mission specialist, becoming the second African American in space.

When the Challenger disaster struck on January 28, 1986, Ronald was among the seven astronauts who lost their lives. He was 35. Yet his life remains a symbol of courage, determination, and the pursuit of knowledge. From a boy denied books to a man who touched the stars, Ronald McNair’s story continues to inspire.

Sources:
MIT Black History. (2009). Ron’s Big Mission.
NASA. (1986). Ronald E. McNair – Biography.
Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2024). Ronald McNair.
The State Newspaper. (2015). Lake City honors astronaut Ronald McNair.

20/10/2025

Two-spirit or Indigiq***r? 🤔 This , we are honoring our two-spirit, transgender, and gender nonconforming Native relatives by taking a closer look at two terms for Indigenous people whose gender and sexual identities fall outside of the traditional Western binary. 🏳️‍⚧️ ✨⁠
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The term “Two-Spirit” was adopted in 1990 at the 3rd Annual Native American Gay and Le***an Gathering in Winnipeg. Though it is an umbrella term for Indigenous LGBTQ+ people, it’s important to remember that two-spirit cannot replace the diverse and nuanced vocabulary that exists within Native languages. There are hundreds of Indigenous nations and languages in North America, and each has its own concepts regarding gender and sexuality.⁠
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Indigenous filmmaker TJ Cuthand (Cree) coined the term “Indigiq***r” as a title for a program he curated at the Vancouver Q***r Film Festival in 2004. In a blog post in 2017, he said that he had created it as an alternative to two-spirit because some people were uncomfortable with its implications of binary gender. He also liked the term “q***r” for its confrontational nature and history of reclamation, and enjoyed the idea of combining that with the history of resistance within Indigenous identity. ⁠
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Identity is inherently an individual and unique experience, so finding one term to describe a community will always be a challenge. Because many Indigenous cultures’ ideas of gender are multidimensional and complex, while Western ideas of gender are traditionally binary, direct translation between the two loses some context and nuance. ⁠
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At Native Americans in Philanthropy, we strongly believe in the right to self-determination, which includes respecting our relatives’ identities. In our current era of increasing attacks on transgender and q***r people, it is imperative that we stand purposefully in solidarity with all our relatives, and give full dignity and respect to ALL Native peoples.⁠
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Learn more about two-spirit identity in this video from Them magazine, featuring artist Geo Soctomah Neptune (Passamaquoddy) ➡️ them.us/story/inq***ry-two-spirit

***r

20/10/2025

Apply by Nov 7 to join our Chamber's Board of Directors!
Scan the code, click over to https://lnkd.in/esV5y6bp, or tap the link in our bio to read about this position and its requirements, duties, and qualifications, and apply to join us. It'll be fun, we promise!

20/10/2025

How do small, everyday acts of kindness shift cultural attitudes? Like this, explains Free Mom Hugs founder Sara Cunningham

“At World Pride in Washington, D.C., there was a lot of uncertainty leading up to the day. Would it be canceled? Would there be protests? But I was determined Free Mom Hugs would be there no matter what.

As nearly 60 volunteers gathered on parade day, I asked, ‘How many of you are volunteering with Free Mom Hugs for the first time?’ Over half raised their hands. They didn’t know what kind of day they were walking into, but they showed up anyway.

That’s how hearts change. That’s how allies are born. That’s how we build a better world — one hug, one act of love, one brave step at a time.

And if that doesn’t give you hope, I don’t know what will.”

20/10/2025

This Asexual Awareness Week, we’re celebrating and uplifting the spectrum of asexual identities. To our asexual loved ones: we see you, we support you, and we're PFLAG Proud of you! 🖤🩶🤍💜

🏳️‍🌈 What does it mean to be asexual?
Sometimes abbreviated as ace, the term refers to an individual who does not experience sexual attraction. Each asexual person experiences relationships, attraction, and arousal differently. Asexuality is distinct from chosen behavior such as celibacy or sexual abstinence; asexuality is a sexual orientation that does not necessarily define sexual behaviors. Asexual people exist on a spectrum of sexual attraction and can use terms such as gray asexual or gray ace to describe themselves.

Learn how you can be an ally to asexual people all year long at pflag.org/resource/ace-aro-resources