Ways to Celebrate SOGI

Events are a part of creating an inclusive environment. Like Black History Month, National Indigenous Peoples Day, or Chinese New Year, celebrating SOGI awareness days send a message to students that all members of the school community are welcome. There are many ways that schools have celebrated some of the top SOGI awareness days. Here are some ideas to get you started:

Coming Out Day (every year on October 11)

Coming out is something only queer and trans people need to do, right? Well, maybe not. One school created “coming out” pins for every educator that wanted to participate and show their allyship. Instead of waiting for students to be vulnerable and come out, teachers came out as allies to let students know that they were supportive adults that could be trusted.

Trans Day of Remembrance (every year on November 20)

Trans people, especially trans women of colour, are still much more likely to face violence. One high schools’ GSA printed the name of a trans person who had been killed in the past year on a white, blue, or pink piece of paper and created a powerful display in the form of the trans flag on the wall of a busy hallway.

Pink Shirt Day / Day of Pink

Pink is for everyone! Resist gender-based bullying by participating in one of these days and keeping the focus on the origins of the event; that a male student was teased for wearing pink.

Pride Month (June)

There are countless ways to celebrate pride. Create a library display of SOGI-themed books or read a book aloud in class, host guest speakers at your school, create a Rainbow Display, or host a classic parade or march.

Need more?

Check out a long list of SOGI celebration days, plus some how-to guides here.