Enamel Pin, Libraries Are For Everyone, LBGTQ
THE PINS:
- Approximately 1" in size, made of metal, with enamel colour
- Perfect for your jean jacket, blazer lapel, back pack, lanyard, or anywhere else you love to show off your values through your pin collection
- $8.00 each, with $1.00 from each pin donated to https://www.the519.org/
THE CHARITY:
The 519 is committed to the health, happiness and full participation of the LGBTQ2S communities. A City of Toronto agency with an innovative model of Service, Space and Leadership, they strive to make a real difference in people’s lives, while working to promote inclusion, understanding and respect.
THE CAUSE:
What Does LGBTQ2S+ Stand For?
Sexual orientations and gender identities that aren’t heterosexual or cisgender are often described by the acronym LGBTQ2S+ (or a variation of this acronym). LGBTQ2S+ stands for:
L – Lesbian: a woman who is physically and emotionally attracted to other women and who identifies as lesbian.
G – Gay: a man who is physically and emotionally attracted to other men and who identifies as gay. Gay is also used as a broad term to describe people attracted to someone of the same gender.
B – Bisexual/Bi: a person who is physically and emotionally attracted to people of their own and other genders and who identifies as bisexual (bi). Some people may prefer bi+ to honour their sexual and emotional attraction to more than one gender.
T – Transgender/Trans: a term often used by people whose gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth. People whose gender identity falls outside of the gender binary (the idea that there are only two genders — man and woman) may also call themselves trans. It’s up to each individual to choose how they want to identify (in other words, no one else can decide if/when a person is or isn’t trans). Other terms to describe gender identity that may be used by some people include genderqueer, gender fluid, gender non-conforming, non-binary and androgynous.
Trans is not a sexual orientation — it’s a gender identity. “T” (for transgender/trans) is grouped with the sexual orientations in LGBTQ2S+ for many reasons, including shared civil and human rights activism and similar experiences of discrimination.
Q – Queer: a broad term that includes all sexual orientations and gender identities within the LGBTQ2S+ community, including those who don’t identify with any other identity in LGBTQ2S+. The term queer can be both positive and negative. Historically, queer was used as an insult, but it has been reclaimed by the LGBTQ2S+ community to self-identify in a more positive and empowering way.
Q – Questioning: some people may feel unsure about their sexual orientation and/or gender identity and describe themselves as questioning. They may be questioning for a period of time, or continue to be questioning throughout their lives.
2S – Two-Spirit (or 2 Spirit or 2S): an important term within some Indigenous cultures and some Indigenous people, meaning a person with both a feminine and a masculine spirit living in the same body. This is often used to describe sexual orientation, gender identity and/or spiritual identity.
+ (plus): a way to include additional sexual orientations and gender identities, including the terms listed below. For some, the plus stands for love and acceptance.