New calendar add-on commemorates significant events in LGBTQIA+ history; available for immediate download
In a bid to keep the rich and diverse history of the LGBTQIA+ community alive and accessible, a group of dedicated individuals from Wieden+Kennedy London have created a unique Google Calendar plugin called "Today is Gay". This free tool is designed to bring daily insights into the culture and history of the LGBTQIA+ community, making it easier than ever for users to learn and celebrate the milestones, struggles, and achievements of this vital community.
The plugin, which is compatible with the work calendars of over 500,000 companies and millions of people worldwide, offers a daily diary note commemorating significant LGBTQIA+ events. These range from anniversaries of homophobic tragedies to unique historical notes such as Michelangelo's grandnephew altering masculine pronouns to feminine ones in the sculptor's romantic poetry before publishing them.
Winona Wee, co-lead of The Ginger Beers and senior creative at Wieden+Kennedy London, expresses that the project was a labor of love. The team, which includes Wil Koslowski, comms planner at Wieden+Kennedy London, felt the loss of institutional support for Pride and saw the plugin as a response to corporations removing support for the LGBTQIA+ community via policies, calendars, and communications.
The plugin also serves as a rejoinder to the erasure of queer people from corporate calendars. As Wil Koslowski puts it, "If queer people are being erased from corporate calendars, the members of The Ginger Beers will put their stories back on everyone else's."
Each member of The Ginger Beers took charge of a different month, with events chosen to reflect the diversity within the team. The calendar includes historical events such as the legalization of same-sex marriage in Canada and the birth of notable LGBTQIA+ figures like historian Lillian Faderman and Lithuania's first openly gay politician, Rokas Źilinskas.
One intriguing entry on the calendar is the resignation of Queen Elizabeth's bodyguard, Commander Michael Trestrail, due to a relationship with a male prostitute. Another notable entry is the invention of the high-five by Glenn Burke, the first major league baseball player to come out as gay.
The Today is Gay website provides more information about the plugin and allows for its download. The site also contains the calendar, instructions for installing the plugin, and an Instagram account for following along. The members of The Ginger Beers, including Wil Koslowski, volunteered their time and care to bring the project to life.
The team aims to continue providing information about important historical moments in the LGBTQIA+ community. As Winona Wee says, "The project was a labor of love. We want to make queer history loud, proud, and urgently visible." With the Today is Gay plugin, learning about and celebrating LGBTQIA+ history has never been easier or more accessible.
- The "Today is Gay" plugin, a creative endeavor by Wieden+Kennedy London, offers daily insights into the art and illustration of the LGBTQIA+ community's culture and history.
- The plugin, compatible with over 500,000 company work calendars, presents a UI and UX design that offers a straightforward layout for users to engage with.
- In the realm of fashion-and-beauty and personal-growth, users can learn about the lives of notable LGBTQIA+ figures like Lillian Faderman and Rokas Źilinskas.
- The plugin also delves into social-media and entertainment, featuring milestones such as Queen Elizabeth's bodyguard, Commander Michael Trestrail's resignation due to a relationship with a male prostitute.
- The Today is Gay plugin serves as a reaction against the erasure of queer people from corporate calendars, providing a platform to celebrate the achievements and milestones of the LGBTQIA+ community.
- Winona Wee, senior creative at Wieden+Kennedy London, sees the project as a reflection of their commitment to the development of their own creative careers and the broader career-development of the LGBTQIA+ community.
- The plugin expands beyond history into pop-culture, including the invention of the high-five by Glenn Burke, the first major league baseball player to come out as gay.
- The sci-fi-and-fantasy community might find intrigue in the participation of 3D design in the plugin's UI, adding a contemporary touch to the historical events commemorated.
- The Today is Gay website offers downloads, detailed instructions for installing the plugin, and a link to the plugin's Instagram account for users to follow along.
- The plugin serves as a reminder of the importance of educational resources for understanding the lives and impacts of LGBTQIA+ celebrities and significant figures in literature, including books on education-and-self-development and personal-growth.
