Fairy Facts

I found a brightly colored brochure among some scattered documents following Sunday's Gay Pride Parade. It contained a little quiz which I think is an excellent review on our state of affairs at home and abroad. I was surprised at how many I didn't know right off the top of my head. (Highlight the space below each question for the answer.)

Q1: What was the estimated buying power of the U.S. gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender adult population in 2005?

A: $610 Billion.

Source: Witeck Combs Communication and Packaged Facts

Q2: When did the American Psychiatric Association remove homosexuality from its official list of mental disorders?

A: 1973

Source: American Psychiatric Association

Q3: The origin of Pride Month can be traced to what 1969 event in New York City’s Greenwich Village that transformed the gay rights movement from a small number of activists into widespread protests for equal rights and acceptance?

A: The Stonewall Rebellion

Source: Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN)

Q4: What is the name of the national organization with more than 200,000 members that was inspired by Jeanne Manford’s march with her son in the 1972 New York Gay Pride Parade?

A: Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG)

Source: Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG)

Q5: Gay and lesbian youth constitute what percent of youth completed suicides in the U.S.?

A: 30%

Source: Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN)

Q6: How many U.S. states do not have any laws or policies prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity?

A: 22 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming.

Source: Human Rights Campaign (HRC)

Q7: On October 11th, 1987, 500,000 people marched on Washington, D.C. for gay and lesbian equality sparking an annual commemoration. What is the name of the annual commemoration?

A: National Coming Out Day. (Bonus trivia, 10/11 is Gayest Neil’s birthday.)

Sources: Human Rights Campaign (HRC) and Gayest Neil

Q8: How many states still do not have laws that address hate or bias crimes even after the murder of Matthew Shepard galvanized attention on the lack of such legislation in 1998?

A: 5 states: Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, South Carolina and Wyoming.

Source: Matthew Shepard Foundation and the Human Rights Campaign

Q9: What is the origin of the pink triangle which was reclaimed and used by the gay community to symbolize the gay liberation movement?

A: It was the symbol used in concentration camps to identify gay men.

Source: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Q10: Who said: “Gays and lesbians stood up for civil rights in Montgomery, Selma, Albany and many other campaigns during the civil rights movement. These courageous men and women were fighting for my freedom at a time when they could find few voices for their own – I salute their contributions.”

A: Coretta Scott King.

Source: Chicago Tribune, April 1, 1998, sec. 2, p. 4

Q11: How many children are being raised by same-sex couples in the U.S.?

A: More than one million.

Source: The 2000 U.S. census

Q12: How many countries recognize civil unions and/or same-sex marriage?

A: 23 Countries: Andorra, Belgium, Canada (Quebec, Nova Scotia and Manitoba), Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greenland, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden and The United Kingdom.

Source: Human Rights Campaign (HRC)

Q13: How many states restrict marriage to “one man and one woman” either by law or constitutional amendment?

A: 45 States: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, north Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Source: Human Rights Campaign (HRC)

Q14: Do same-sex civil unions provide the same federal rights, benefits and responsibilities as marriage?

A: No. There are more than 1,000 Federal rights, benefits and responsibilities that are afforded to married couples in areas such as employment, taxation, immigration, social security and veterans benefits not afforded to partners in a civil union.

Source: Human Rights Campaign (HRC)

Q15: Which U.S. state expressly prohibits gays and lesbians from adopting children?

A: Flordia

Source: Human Rights Watch

Q16: How many U.S. states currently have legislation in place that prohibits the positive portrayal of homosexuality in schools?

A: 7 States: Alabama, Arizona, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas and Utah

Source: GLSEN 2005 National School Climate Survey