Category: Events and Announcements

Announcing BPI Silver Anniversary Celebration on June 21

By Kerri Regan

 

Hey, do you have any plans for Saturday, June 21? Why not join our global blind LGBTQ community for a celebration a quarter-century in the making? It’s Pride Month! It’s Summer! And it’s our 25th Birthday!!! LET’s PARTY!!!

 

Blind LGBT Pride international is turning 25—and we’re inviting YOU to join us for a day of pride, connection, reflection, and joy.

 

 This full day of programming honors all things queer and bold at the intersection of blindness, low vision, and LGBTQIA+ identity. We are proud to be the only organization in the world dedicated solely to this vibrant, powerful community.  Come celebrate our unique voices, our shared stories, and the trail we’ve blazed together over the past two-and-a-half decades.

 

Visit bpi.gay to learn more, become a member, support our mission, and grab your fabulous queer gear just in time for the celebration—plus enjoy a Silver Anniversary Discount next weekend! 

 

Here is the rundown of our Virtual Celebration Day. All events will be accessible via Zoom, though you’ll have to be a BPI member if you want the links. If you just want to hear what we’re all about, check out 2020 The Beacon who’ve graciously agreed to livestream our party to the world. Visit 2020 The Becon’s website  to find out how to listen.

 

11:00 AM – 12:45 PM ET: BPI Silver Anniversary Virtual Brunch  

Hosted by President Leah Gardner and Immediate Past President Gabriel Lopez Kafati.

Join us around the virtual BPI family table as we raise a toast to 25 years of connection, advocacy, and chosen family—and to the 25 more to come. Bring your stories, share your memories, and tell us what BPI means to you. We’ll make space for all who wish to speak.

 

 

  1:00 PM – 2:30 PM ET: BPI Book and Media Share  

Hosted by Jessica Tomlinson and Shannon Dyer.

This open discussion invites you to explore queer representation in media. Bring your favorite titles, characters, and examples as we reflect on how far we’ve come in representation and how we can encourage inclusive and authentic storytelling going forward.   

3:00 PM – 4:30 PM ET: Blind LGBT Pride – Who Are We and What Do We Represent?  

Hosted by Brynn Lowden and Marco Ramos.

We’ll explore BPI’s mission, our community’s unique role, the social and advocacy opportunities we offer, and the broader impact we aim to make.   

4:30 PM – 5:00 PM ET: Queer Gear

Featuring Tricia Waechter of Blind Girl Designs  

We will explore the three fabulous collections celebrating Blind Pride International and our 25 years as well as our Ally Love collection.   Live descriptions and information on our silver anniversary discount and how you can order via the web or by phone. 

5:00 PM – 6:00 PM ET: Ally Love – Celebrating Our Allies  

Hosted by Michael Byington, Penny Reader, and Bill and Susie Rivera.

Join us in recognizing the allies who uplift and support Blind Pride and the wider LGBTQIA+ community. Allies are invited to share, and members are encouraged to celebrate the allies in their lives. We’ll also reflect on discussions inspired by the book “Savvy Ally.”   

5:00 PM – 6:00 PM ET: BPI Leadership Office Hours  

Board members and committee chairs will take time to listen and connect with you. Share your hopes for BPI over the next year, five years, or twenty-five. Ask questions, offer suggestions, and learn how to get involved in committees and programs like Pride Connection and Never Alone. Zoom participation only.   

6:00 PM – 7:00 PM ET: Never Alone Rollout  

Hosted by Program Chair Tai Tomasi and Vice Chair Anthony Corona.

Learn more about the next steps in the Never Alone program and how you can take part in this vital member support initiative.

 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM ET: Coming Out Stories  

Hosted by Kerri Regan and Shannon Dyer  

This program creates a safe and welcoming space to share our coming out stories—funny, heartfelt, challenging, or life-changing. Bring a friend or family member you came out to and tell your story together or reflect on the experience from your perspective. We welcome the hard stories and the joyful ones—always with respect and support.

 7:00 PM – 8:00 PM ET: Advocacy Committee Open Conversation  

Hosted by Co-Chairs Tristan Snyder and Tai Tomasi.

This Zoom-only session will hold space for advocacy-related concerns, discussions, and ideas. Participation is encouraged as we look to strengthen our collective voice and strategy.   

8:00 PM – 10:00 PM ET: BPI Karaoke and Open Mic  

Hosted by Tristan Snyder and Anthony Corona.

Bring your creativity! Sing a song, share a spoken word piece, or debut something original. All performances must be under six minutes. More details and instructions on how to submit your performance will be shared closer to the event.   

10:00 PM ET: BPI Virtual Dare to Share  

Hosted by Anthony Corona.

This beloved BPI tradition returns. We’ll keep the virtual candles glowing as we dive into intimate, sensual, and even sexual stories and fantasies. All content is welcome, as long as it’s respectful and in the spirit of fun. It’s been too long since we last dared to share together. This space will be open only to BPI members, with no recording allowed to protect privacy.  

 

 

For 25 years, Blind LGBT Pride International has created safe spaces, connected chosen family, and advocated fiercely for a more inclusive world. Now it’s time to toast the road we’ve traveled—and raise our voices for 25 more.  We’re still here. Still proud. Still building.   

 

To request participation information for any of these discussions or programs, please email membership@blindlgbtpride.org We strive to be a fully accessible community, so please let us know if you require any reasonable accommodations to fully enjoy any of Saturday’s events.  You can also find BPI on social media, including our Clubhouse room which will be open throughout Silver Saturday, by visiting our LinkTree.

 

You still want more? Check our audio promo below  by Tristan Snyder. 

 

Blind LGBT Pride International Celebrates Trans Day of Visibility

Blind LGBT Pride International stands unwavering in love, truth, and solidarity.

As we approach Transgender Day of Visibility 2025, we raise our voices not only in celebration but in fierce and unapologetic support of our transgender and non-binary family members. In the face of growing hostility, cruel rhetoric, and harmful legislation aimed at erasing our existence, we shine a powerful light through the darkness. Blind LGBT Pride International is here—resolute, unafraid, and united. To our most vulnerable siblings: You are not alone. You are valued. You are seen. Our community embraces your courage and your truth, and we affirm your right to live openly, safely, and authentically.

We call upon every member of our organization and every ally to act with urgency and compassion. Reach out to your local, state, and federal representatives. Flood their inboxes, phone lines, and social media with messages of support and protection for our trans community. Let them know that we will not be silent in the face of oppression. An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us. We will not stand by while our siblings are targeted—we will rise together.

Trans Day of Visibility is a powerful reminder that transgender people are not only valid—they are vital to the rich fabric of our LGBTQIA+ family. Today and every day, we celebrate the radiance of diversity, the strength of intersectionality, and the unshakable connection between the Blind and Low Vision experience and the broader LGBTQIA+ movement.

For more information, to support our mission, or to join us as a member or ally, please visit

www.bpi.gay.

Let us flood Capitol Hill with love, truth, and justice. Let us take action—because visibility without advocacy is not enough.

With Pride and Power, Blind LGBT Pride International

Happy Trans Day of Visibility. You are seen. You are loved. You are protected.

BPI Advocacy Committee Holds First Community Call on March 4, 2025

As promised, we are creating new opportunities for you to engage with BPI and to reinforce bonds with fellow members and allies. This virtual meeting courtesy of your Advocacy Committee is a response to the ever-growing need for us to build community and to strengthen ties that make us a family. It is our hope that this fosters a greater sense of solidarity among BPI members and to inspire us to reach out to our local communities to make a difference.

 

Remember, in these trying times, we are stronger together than we are apart.

 

Below is the note from your Advocacy Committee chairs Tristan Snyder and Tai Tomasi regarding the first community meeting:

 

The BPI advocacy committee is pleased to announce that we will be holding community meetings alternating weekly on Tuesday and Sunday evenings. Information for our first meeting is below:

 

Who: blind LGBTQIA plus folx and Allies

What: the building blocks of local community

Where: Zoom (Check the announce list for meeting information.)

When: Tuesday March 4, 8:00 PM Eastern, 5:00 PM Pacific

 

Why: Are you struggling to make sense of everything that is going on in the world? Are you feeling overwhelmed and looking for community? Join like-minded people to learn how to connect with local resources, get involved with advocacy, and cultivate Hope in these difficult times. If you feel moved, let us know what you think the needs of the Blind LGBTQIA plus community are. What can the Blind pride international advocacy committee do for you, and our community as a whole? What topics would you like to see the advocacy committee cover?

 

If you have questions or concerns, please email: advocacy@blindlgbtpride.org

All paws on deck: The Savvy Ally discussion February 22

This Saturday, February 22, we are wrapping up our discussions around the savvy ally. This series of discussions all came to us from our intrepid allies Bill and Susie Rivera, so it is very, very fitting that they have structured a conversation that is both timely and needed. We will be recording this episode for the next Pride Connection and would really like to hear as many BPI member voices in the conversation.

 

As you will see and Bill and Susie‘s conversation outline below, we’re not only looking for ally voices. Members of the community can help shape How allies think about and offer their support as they stand with us in these truly unprecedented times. If you are available, please consider joining us at 4:30 PM Eastern, 1:30 PM Pacific.

We will disseminate the zoom information when we put out the reminder later this week on the Announce list.

 

Here is the conversation Outline:

For this month’s Savvy Ally discussion, we propose diving into a crucial and timely conversation:

  • As allies, how can we best support the LGBTQ+ community in these times when advocacy and awareness are more important than ever?
  • As allies, how can we ensure we are actively advocating for our LGBTQ+ friends and family in ways that truly matter?
  • How can we, as allies, make sure our messaging and advocacy efforts genuinely reflect the needs and voices of the LGBTQ+ community?
  • Most importantly, what do you, as LGBTQ+ individuals, need from us right now to feel supported and uplifted?

We envision this discussion to be about listening, learning, and taking action in meaningful ways, so join us on Saturday, February 22. Check the announce list for the meeting details or contact the media team at media@blindlgbtpride.org for more information.

To know more about Blind LGBT Pride International, visit www.bpi.gay.