Events Scheduled for Oct. 7-11, 2019
Fifty years ago, a gay club, called the Stonewall Inn, was raided by eight New York police officers and detectives.
Fifty years ago, gay and transgender patrons were forced to produce identification and feared arrest.
Fifty years ago, the 1969 Stonewall Riots ensued as a result.
And 50 years ago, in what is widely considered to be the start of the gay rights movement, members of the LGBTQIA+ community united in solidarity to say “enough is enough.”
With the theme “50 Years: Still Honoring the Resistance, Transforming Our Community,” this year’s ninth annual LGBTQIA Week at Highline College will dive deep into the history of the movement while also providing resources and workshops throughout the week.
“As we reflected and brainstormed themes, we wanted to honor the resistance and start of LGBTQIA+ movements in the past, and connect them to the present as we work towards transformative change within our community,” said Edwina Fui, LGBTQIA Week committee chair.
Not only will this week seek to celebrate WorldPride and remember how far the United States has come since the riots, but organizers hope to incite a look to the future.
Last year’s LGBTQIA Week Resource Fair featured more than 50 community organizations and services that provided information to support the health and wellness of the LGBTQ community.
Keynote Karama Blackhorn, who identifies as a Two-Spirit organizer and cultural educator, will open the week with the presentation “Out of the Closets, Into the Streets! Queer Activism and Coming Out 50 Years Later.” They will provide messages of healing, transforming and will explore understanding the responsibilities communities have for the next 50 years.
Fui said Blackhorn was selected because they embody LGBTQIA Week’s theme and are actively engaged within the LGBTQIA+ community.
Having spent months working on the details of LGBTQIA Week and intentionally selecting speakers to match this year’s theme, the nine committee members of the LGBTQIA Week task force hope attendees engage in a dialogue beyond the week and reflect on the following questions:
- How do we tie in legacy with our present happenings?
- Am I ready to contribute to the community?
- How can we improve on our work as a community and institutionally?
- What is needed to be done? What actions need to be taken? How do we challenge privilege and review what’s not being done?
LGBTQIA Week is a series of events that coincides with National Coming Out Day on Oct. 11, 2019 and is free and open to all. The series will include the third annual Resource Fair, featuring information from more than 60 on- and off-campus groups and organizations, such as the LGBTQ Allyship, Tacoma’s Rainbow Center and The Seattle Lesbian, to name a few.
Questions?
Contact Edwina Fui at (206) 592-3903
Event Schedule
All events are free and open to the public and will be held on the college’s main campus. Find full event descriptions and presenters’ photos at LGBTQIA Week 2019.