Visual Sage

Happy Pride Month!!! 🌈

This is part 1 of my educational social media campaign, "Gay Rights Are Human Rights" for Pride Month. We all know that understanding LGBTQIA+ plus terminology can be quite confusing to take in and difficult to remember, especially since the rise of growing conservative movements in the U.S discussions of pride are purposely misconstrued and twisted for right-leaning political agendas. I created this campaign with the purpose of correcting those misaligned commentaries and starting learners fresh with interesting visuals that still maintain clarity and simplicity in design and language. I split this campaign into three separate posts, part 1 pertaining to precourse knowlege that will help you understand the later definitions to come. Part 2 covers the definitions of various genders and part 3 covers the definitions of various sexualities. I only included the most common practice genders and sexual orientations for two reasons:

1. The LGBTQIA+ community is vast with extensive terminology, with some lesser known alignments or disagreements in definition and practice. There are many genders and orientations that even I may not be aware of. 

2. I really wanted to get this project in during Pride Month where the movement is arguably at its height.

Happy Juneteenth ya'll! ❤️🖤💚

June 19th, 2026 marks the 161st year of emancipation for the freed African American slaves in Texas. When the 16th president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1st of 1863, the effects didn't transpire all throughout the nation at once. Many slave owners in the southern rebel territory thought they were safely mitigated from the Union Army, resulting in the continuance of slavery till troops came marching through towns with copies of the Emancipation Proclamation handed out to townspeople, slave holders, and the enslaved that could read. June 19th is the emancipation date for Texans when union general Gordon Granger marched through town and declared all slaves free and forever free. Though slavery was never formally abolished until the ratification of the 13th Amendment on December 6th of 1865.

Juneteenth often consists of activities like barbecues and cookouts, family get togethers, and communal services. It is tradition to serve at least one red food for a Juneteenth feast. The speculated reasons for this tradition being, it could represent the blood shed by enslaved Africans, the symbolism of red in African culture, or because most enslaved Africans were brought alongside red supplies like hibiscus tea. Traditional foods consist of red velvet cake, okra, barbecue, red drinks, and other red or dyed red foods.

Juneteenth marks a day of remembrance, resilience, and of course - jubilee. Reflect, what does it mean to be free? What is freedom? And do you have it now? Every Juneteenth is a reminder of the tribulations the African-American community faced, and focus on the injustices and inequalities they face today.