#DYK that June is Pride Month? 🏳️‍🌈 Pride Month provides those who identify as LGBTQ+ and their allies the opportunity to protest peacefully + raise awareness about the issues this community is facing. It also commemorates the Stonewall Uprising that happened in 1969.

If you’re looking to educate yourself about LGBTQ+ issues, learning about Stonewall is a good place to start. But there’s a lot more to take in about LGBTQ+ history, discrimination, rights, and the evolution of the cultural acceptance and understanding of LGBTQ+ people.

Whether you identify as LGBTQ+ or not, we’ve put together some resources you can utilize to further support these members of our community + learn more.

Reading lists from Charleston County Public Library

CCPL librarians have curated a list of physical + digital books and resources for both adults + young adults that aim to provide dialogue, stories + conversations about the LGBTQ+ community and social justice. Click here to place books on hold at your nearest branch or on a digital platform.

Upcoming Events

Typically, Charleston Pride hosts a Pride event every year, but thanks to the coronavirus, the 2020 Pride Fall Festival and Parade was added to our long list of cancelled events. However, there are still some chances to celebrate throughout the year.
○ Charleston Pride is hosting several small events throughout 2020. Check out their Instagram for event dates + updates.
○ National HIV Testing Day is June 27. Palmetto Community Care (PCC) has chosen to commemorate this day with a vigorous in-office appointment schedule for both testing and counseling, which began June 22. Click here for more info + appointments.
○ SC’s largest Pride event, Famously Hot South Carolina Pride in Columbia, currently has events scheduled for Oct. 16-17.

Resources in our community

○ We Are Family Charleston’s support + services
○ MUSC Health’s list of LGBTQ health care resources
○ Click here to learn about or get involved in Charleston Social Club.
○ MUSC’s Alliance for Equality organization for students
○ College of Charleston’s Prism ally organization for students
○ The Citadel ALLIES educational program
○ Charleston School of Law Alliance for Equality organization for students
○ South Carolina Equality’s list of resources including legal advice, faith communities, mental health resources and more
○ Alliance For Full Acceptance (AFFA)’s list of national, statewide + local resources
○ Click here to learn about or donate to SC Pride.
○ Click here to learn about or here to get involved with South Carolina Black Pride.

This is by no means a comprehensive guide to LGBTQ+ resources in our community. We are still listening + learning and working to facilitate positive conversations about our diverse and vibrant community. Did we miss something? Have questions? Let us know here.