May and June News Item

June is National Pride Month 

Pride Month is celebrated in honor of the LGBTQ+ community's historical struggle towards equal rights in the United States and honors the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan, which was a tipping point for the gay liberation movement in the US. A year later, on June 28, 1970, the first Pride parade was established at the Stonewall Inn, as LGBTQ+ activists organized the Christopher Street Liberation March. While LGBTQ+ folks still seek further equity under the law, the Stonewall riots were the first major turning point in gay liberation, leading to today’s celebrations, which include parades, parties, concerts, educational opportunities, memorials, and more. It’s also important to understand that LGBTQ+ history didn’t just start with Stonewall. 

Here are a few great organizations that offer free educational resources on their websites:

• National Center for Lesbian Rights: A national legal organization that protects and advances the civil rights of LGBTQ+ people through litigation, legislation, policy, and public education. https://www.nclrights.org/     
• The Center: The Center is a one-stop-shop for all things LGBTQ+ with resources for all kinds of intersecting identities within the LGBTQ+ community. https://gaycenter.org/resources/ 
• Bi.org: A website that has dedicated over 20 years to providing resources about bisexuality and support for people who identify as bi+. https://bi.org/en 
• National Center for Transgender Equality: An advocate organization that aims to change policies and society to increase understanding and acceptance of transgender people. https://transequality.org/ 
• Gender Justice League: A national organization that advocates for human rights for trans and gender-diverse people. Check out their resource guide! https://www.genderjusticeleague.org/ 
• The Intersex Society of North America: Devoted to the systemic change to end shame, secrecy, and harm in intersex communities, this organization offers endless educational and advocacy opportunities. https://isna.org/ 
• Asexual Visibility and Education Network: The world’s largest online asexual community, which includes a large archive of resources on asexuality. http://www.asexuality.org/ 
• PFLAG’s Online Academy: A hub for free, monthly educational resources to support LGBTQ+ people and their families. https://pflag.org/pflag-academy-online/ 

Juneteenth – Monday, June 19th, 2023

Juneteenth - short for June 19th is a holiday that observes the end of slavery in the United States. It originated in Galveston, Texas, where the last remaining enslaved people were informed of their liberation. The year was 1865 and was two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation. As time went on, the descendants of the more than 250,000 enslaved persons in Galveston began migrating to other parts of the country, spreading the Juneteenth tradition. Today, Juneteenth is celebrated through various activities that honor Black resilience, resistance, freedom, and joy. 

You can Support/Celebrate Juneteenth by: 

• Watch a documentary about slavery (13th is on Netflix and can be viewed for free on You Tube) 
• Visit a museum
  • America’s Black Holocaust Museum, Milwaukee, WI
  • The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History & Culture, Washington, D.C.
  • Houston Museum of African American Culture, Houston, Texas
  • African American Museum in Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, Texas
  • The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA
  • Amistad Research Center, New Orleans, LA
  • August Wilson African American Cultural Center, Pittsburgh, PA
  • California African American Museum, Los Angeles, CA
  • Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, Detroit, MI
  • Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park, Hilton Head Island, SC
  • The National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel, Memphis, TN
  • The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, Cincinnati, OH
  • Northwest African American Museum, Seattle, WA
• Read Books Written by Black authors/poets
  • Juneteenth reading list - https://nmaahc.si.edu/visit/museum-store/juneteenth-reading-list
• Support Black-owned businesses/restaurants – purchase a gift card before leaving and share with a friend/loved one 
• Amplify Black voices. Listen, learn and support Black voices by amplifying their content.
• Turn good intentions into real change. https://www.thediversitygap.com/ 

Wendy Fonseca

Secretary Treasurer/D4 Women’s State Coordinator

Women’s Wage Disparity

 In the United States, women on average make 82 cents for every dollar earned by men according to the Pew Research Center. Data also shows the number has not budged in recent years and it is even worse for mothers, women of color and all women as they age.

This year, equal pay day was March 14th which marks how far into 2023 some women must work to make what white, non-Hispanic men earned in 2022. Equal pay day for Black women will not come until July. For moms equal pay day does not come until August. For Latina women, equal pay day does not come until October and for Native women, equal pay day is not until November according to the American Association of University women.

According to experts, the impact of the gender wage gap was seen firsthand over the past three years as a crisis caused by the Coronavirus pandemic pushing more than 2 million women out of the workforce, leaving many of them on shakier financial footing than their male counterparts because of the already existing gap.

In October 2022, New York City enacted a salary transparency law that requires companies with at least four employees and at least one base in the city, to include a minimum and maximum salary on job listings. This law is being enforced by the New York City Commission on Human Rights.  This law will enable all applicants, including women, to know and request equitable wages.

Sylvia Chapman

Local 4250/CTU#16 D4 Illinois CRE Representative