Through education, celebration, and awareness, October brings our attention to some important topics. Join us in honoring Down Syndrome Awareness Month, LGBTQ+ History Month, and National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and stay tuned to our social media for highlights about how our team is learning and commemorating.
Down Syndrome Awareness Month
ZIM is commemorating Down Syndrome Awareness Month by sharing important information about the syndrome.
Did you know?
Down syndrome is the most common chromosomal condition with about 6,000 babies born with the syndrome annually.
Down syndrome It is associated with delays in physical growth, characteristic facial features and intellectual disability.
The average IQ of an adult with Down syndrome is equivalent to that of an 8-year-old.
The cause of the syndrome is an extra chromosome, and the likelihood becomes more prevalent the older the mother.
Down syndrome has nothing to do with race, nationality, socioeconomic status, religion, or anything the mother or father did during pregnancy.
There are three types of Down syndrome — trisomy 21 (nondisjunction) is most prevalent. Translocation and mosaicism account for about 5 percent of cases combined.
As recently as 1983, the average lifespan of a person with Down syndrome was 25 years. Today, they can live rich full lives with an average life expectancy of 60 years and that age is increasing. The increase is largely due to the end of the inhumane practice of institutionalizing people with Down syndrome.
These are just facts, but they do not share the full picture. With Down Syndrome Awareness Month every October, we are inspired to learn more about this topic and to celebrate people born with Down syndrome and the medical advancements that increasingly improve their quality of life.
Sources and resources: https://www.rmdsa.org/; https://nationaltoday.com/down-syndrome-awareness-month/
LGBTQ History Month
ZIM is commemorating LGBTQ History Month by sharing a critical but overlooked part of LGBTQ history.
During the Weimar Republic, LGBTQ culture was thriving in Germany and throughout Europe. An important part of that was The Institute of Sex Research, an early research institute dedicated to understanding diversity in gender and sexual orientation. Magnus Hirschfeld, who founded The Institute of Sex Research, coined the term transsexualism, a term that many now view as outdated, but which was very radical for its time in describing transgender people. The Institute provided gender affirming surgeries, advocated in support of rights for gay and transgender people, and published extensive research on sexual orientation and gender identity.
During the Nazi regime, gay and transgender people were targeted, persecuted, and sent to concentration camps. The Institute of Sex Research was destroyed by youth brigades of Hitler’s National Socialist Party on May 6, 1933, three months after Hitler came to power. Its books and documents burnt in the street, a tragedy for the LGBTQ community, as some of the most extensive research and knowledge about LGBTQ people was lost forever.
We must remember the struggles of the LGBTQ community, their resistance, and how they have thrived in the face of oppression. The pink triangle, a symbol the Nazis forced gay men to wear, has been reclaimed by the LGBTQ community as a symbol demonstrating resilience.
Sources and resources: https://one-colorado.org/; https://www.britannica.com/biography/Magnus-Hirschfeld#ref1221879; https://web.archive.org/web/20150118234328/http://www.qualiafolk.com/2011/12/08/institute-of-sexology/; https://time.com/5295476/gay-pride-pink-triangle-history/;
National Domestic Violence Awareness Month
ZIM is celebrating National Domestic Violence Awareness Month by sharing important information about the issue.
Did you know?
In 1850, the first legislation outlawing violence against spouses was passed in the United States in Tennessee. This law was copied by many other states.
Federal legislation known as the Violence Against Women Acts was passed in 1994, 2000, and 2005.
According to a CDC survey in 2010, 20 Americans experienced intimate partner physical violence every minute. This means that there are 10 million people per year who are victims of domestic violence.
In 2018, the Domestic Violence Awareness Project developed a unified theme: #1Thing. The purpose of this campaign is to remind everyone that ending domestic violence starts with just one small action, whether that is seeking help or sharing resources.
Four signs that you could be/or are experiencing abuse:
Your partner threatens or tries to control you. This can be anything from making you feel inadequate to telling you what to wear or how to look.
Your partner controls your money. Keeping cash or credit cards away from you or discouraging you from working is unacceptable.
Your partner isolates you. Cutting you off from family and friends makes you even more dependent on your partner and could be a sign of abuse.
Your partner physically abuses you. This is a serious crime regardless of your relationship status.