SALEM, MA — Salem will hold its first official Intersex Awareness Day flag raising on Monday — along with a film screening, march, speaking program and free public presentation.
Mayor Dominick Pangallo invited community members to take part in the daylong program, which will recognize intersex people, their history and their contributions to the broader LGBTQIA+ community.
"Visibility matters, and education is an important part of building a community where everyone is able to live openly and authentically," Pangallo said. "As we mark 30 years since the first intersex protest in Boston, I am proud that Salem is hosting its first Intersex Awareness Day flag raising.
This is an opportunity to learn from intersex leaders and community members, recognize the history of this movement, and reaffirm Salem's commitment to being a welcoming and inclusive city for all."
The day will begin at Cinema Salem, where there will be a 10:45 a.m. admittance for a screening of "Common as Red Hair." The 2023 film is a 15-minute short drama written and directed by Robbie Robertson, executive produced by Kimberly Zieselman, and starring Wally Kurth and Kassie Depaiva. The screening is expected to begin at about 11:05 a.m. and end around 11:20 a.m.
Immediately after the screening, participants will take part in a short March of Visibility from Cinema Salem to Salem City Hall, carrying intersex flags in recognition of Intersex Awareness Day.
\A speaking program and flag raising ceremony are scheduled for about 11:40 a.m. at City Hall.
The program will include community members, local officials and intersex advocates, including Zieselman and Erika Lorshbough, executive director of interAct.
"Thirty years ago, intersex people and our allies gathered in Boston for the first-ever public demonstration calling for our fundamental rights to dignity and bodily autonomy," Lorshbough said. "Salem officials are working hard to publicly recognize those essential rights and celebrate intersex people as valued community members — and these efforts make a difference."
The Salem Public Library will also host an Intersex Resource Table at City Hall.
A free presentation led by Lorshbough is scheduled from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. in Salem City Council Chambers.
That event is open to the public with a recommended RSVP by email to Michael Corley at mcorley@salem.com.
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