Pride Music Playlists for All

Happy Pride Month! June marks the first day of Pride Month honoring the LGBTQIA+ community and celebrating those who identify within this community for their bravery, individuality, and passion to fight for equality.

What is Pride Month?

Pride Month takes place during the month of June in the United States to honor and celebrate Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) individuals. Pride Month honors the LGBTQIA+ community’s history of the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan. The Stonewall Uprising was a major turning point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States. You can learn more about the Stonewall Uprising by following this link. You can also check out this video on Pride month explained for kids and check out the Gender Unicorn for information on transgender individuals and how to understand trans identity. BONUS: Follow “Queer Kid Stuff” on Youtube for more videos!

What does LGBTQIA+ stand for?

LGBTQIA+ is an acronym for “lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual” with a "+" sign to recognize the limitless sexual orientations and gender identities used by members of our community. Follow this link to a glossary of terms provided by the Human Rights Campaign.

Why is this important?

According to a database per the Chicago Department of Public Health, Healthy Chicago (2018), LGBTQIA+ youth report significantly higher percentages of mental health challenges, substance use, harassment and/or violence in school or the workplace, high risk of chronic disease, and less access to healthcare services. In 2020, the number of youth between the ages of 13 and 17 identifying as LGBT is estimated at 9.5% of the US population with 80,000 LGBT identifying youth living in Illinois (UCLA, 2020). It can be predicted that as the population has increased, the number of LGBTQIA+ youth has also increased.

As a music therapist and mental health clinician, I have the opportunity to support fellow LGBTQIA+ clients and families by creating an environment of trust through affirming their identity, unlocking space for safe and creative self-expression, and engaging in meaningful interpersonal interaction throughout their therapeutic process.

What is Gender Inclusive Language?

We can learn a lot about others through the language they use and the ways in which they communicate with us! When providing inclusive care for LGBTQIA+ patients and families, and when interacting with LGBTQIA+ individuals, it is important to use language that affirms their identity.

Here are a few ways to incorporate gender inclusive language into greeting people around us.

There are many terms that we use to correctly address our LGTBQIA+ friends. Throughout history, these terms have evolved or changed to be more inclusive and representative of how each individual identifies while empowering and affirming them for who they are!

Here are a few terms to avoid and replacement terms to help us respectfully communicate with our LGBTQIA+ peers