June is Pride Month! Check out events related to LGBTQIA+ topics! 
				June is Pride Month! Check out events related to LGBTQIA+ topics!

Pride Month 2024 -
LGBTQIA+ Live Streams & Lessons

LGBTQIA+ Pride Month is celebrated annually in the month of June (in the United States and other countries).
Cafetalk will be featuring Pride Month events for this occasion during the month of June.

Symposium

  • English Symposium - Pride Month 2024

    over the world, as they speak about the life and activism of LGBTQIA+ people in their country.

    Date/Time June 11 (Tue), 2024 20:00~ (JST)
    Seminar language English 90% Japanese 10%
    *The presentations will be in English but you can ask questions in Japanese as well!
    Price FREE

    Tutor

    Now released! Find the video below!↓

LGBTQIA+ friendly tutors BADGE


					LGBTQIA+ friendly tutors BADGE
  • For students:

    If you see a tutor with this badge, it means they would like to convey their lessons are a safe space for LGBTQIA+ folks!

    *Please note that currently it's not possible to search for tutors that use this badge

  • For tutors:

    Would you like to show your support for the LGBTQIA+ community?

    If you would like to highlight to LGBTQIA+ students that your lessons are a safe space and/or that you are comfortable covering LGBTQIA+ related topics in your lessons, feel free to download this badge and add it to your profile!

LGBTQIA+ lessons

*Tutors may offer their lesson in more than one language. In that case, please tell the tutor which language you prefer when you book the lesson.

*Every tutor is only featured with one lesson, but some of the tutors may offer even more lessons about this topic. Please check their profiles for details.

*Tutors may also continue to offer the lessons after the end of the campaign. Please contact the tutor to find out if you can also book the lesson at a later date.

What is Pride Month?

What is Pride Month?

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ+) Pride Month is celebrated every June in the United States and around the world. During Pride Month, various events such as pride parades and concerts are held in support of LGBTQIA+ rights. People often show their support and pride with the Pride flag - a rainbow.


							What is Pride Month?

Why are pride parades held in June?

Its roots stem from the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan. Stonewall was a tipping point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States. Today, Pride is celebrated in different months all around the world.
The purpose of the commemorative month is to recognize the impact that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer individuals have had on history locally, nationally, and internationally.


							Why are pride parades held in June?

Are pride parades held in Japan too?

In Japan we have the TRP, short for Tokyo Rainbow Pride! It's usually celebrated around late April / early May.


							Are pride parades held in Japan too?
LGBTQIA+

LGBTQIA+ means inclusivity

LGBTQIA+ is an acronym that stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer or Questioning, Intersex, and Asexual or Agender. It is also often used as an umbrella term for sexual and gender minorities in general.

*What does sexual and gender minority mean?A sexual and/or gender minority is a group whose sexual and/or gender identity, orientation or practices differ from the majority of the surrounding society.

LGBTQIA+ includes terms that describe various gender identities and sexual orientations.

  • [L] Lesbian

    Describes a woman who has romantic feelings or sexual attraction for a woman. In Japanese the use of the term "レズ" (rezu) is generally avoided due to its history of being used in hyper-sexualized depictions of lesbian women in media.

  • [G] Gay

    Describes a man who has romantic feelings or sexual attraction for a man. Some use it as a generic term for homosexuals or sexual minorities, but its use has been criticized as male-centric.

  • [B] Bisexual

    The definition can depend on the individual person, but generally it describes a person who has romantic feelings or sexual attraction for women and men and people of other genders as well. A person who has romantic feelings or sexual attraction for people regardless of gender is also referred to as Pansexual.

  • [T] Transgender

    Refers to a person who self-identifies as a gender different from the gender they were assigned at birth. In addition to transgender women and transgender men, some people use "transgender" as an umbrella term for people who do not fit into the gender binary. The umbrella term "transgender" includes for example trans non-binary people, trans-masculine, and others who do not identify as either male or female.

  • [Q] Queer

    It is sometimes used as a general term for an identity or sexual minority that represents a political stance against heterosexual or cisgender norms. It is also used to describe a person who may feel sexually attracted to all genders. Originally a term used in the English-speaking world with the connotation of "eccentric and/or strange," it was used pejoratively to describe people who did not fit into the gender binary or who were not heterosexual. Since the end of the 20th century, sexual and gender minorities, who had been subjected to such contempt, began to reclaim the term to refer to themselves. Movements and studies began to develop along with the attitude that "we are queer," as a way to fight back.

  • [Q] Questioning

    Refers to people who are questioning their own gender identity or sexual orientation, or have intentionally not defined their gender identity or sexual orientation.

  • [I] Intersex

    Referes to people with physical or biological characteristics that do not fit into the biological gender binary. Referred to as “Intersex" in English-speaking regions and as DSD (Difference of Sex Development) in Japan, the "I" in LGBTQIA+ is the acronym for Intersex. In Japanese, the uses of words such as "インターセックス (intersex)" and "half-yin-yang (半陰陽)" are generally avoided as they are often used in a misleading or derogatory nuance.

  • [A] Asexual

    Refers to people who do not (or rarely experience) sexual attraction towards others, or does not (or rarely experience) sexual desire. In Japanese the term “non-sexual" (ノンセクシャル) can also be used.

Furthermore, the “+" in "LGBTQIA +" indicates that there are many other forms of sexuality.

What does "Ally" mean?

“Ally” refers to anyone who does not identify as LGBTQIA+ (or any category within LGBTQIA+), and who has articulated their position of understanding and support for sexual minorities.
For example: a heterosexual person who is a gay ally. A cisgender lesbian woman who is a transgender ally.

What does "Straight" mean?

Describes any person who has romantic feelings or sexual attraction for a person of the opposite binary gender. Another term for "straight" is heterosexual. Some people may identify as straight while also being part of the LGBTQIA+ community. For example: a transgender woman who is in a relationship with a cisgender man. An asexual person who is only romantically attracted to people of the opposite gender.

What does "Cisgender" mean?

Refers to a person whose gender identity corresponds with the sex they were assigned at birth.

Be careful about "normal"!

A person who doesn’t identify as LGBTQIA+ might sometimes be at a loss of words for describing their own experience and end up using the word "normal" (ノーマル, 普通). The issue with this term is, that it implies that not being LGBTQIA+ is correct, and being LGBTQIA+ is a deviation from the correct norm. It implies a norm that is limited to a rigid ideal of a heteronormative, binary lifestyle. Instead, by using words like "heterosexual / straight", "cisgender", "allosexual" (refering to people who do experience sexual attraction; the opposite of asexual) we can be more precise and avoid implying a moral judgement.

Release Date: May 30th, 2024

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