Pride Month might have wrapped up, but a fresh calendar plugin is making sure key moments in LGBTQIA+ history stay front of mind 365 days a year. Meet Today is Gay—a sleek, thoughtfully designed calendar tool that offers daily insights into LGBTQIA+ culture, covering everything from milestone anniversaries to heartbreaking instances of homophobic tragedy.
Developed by The Ginger Beers, the LGBTQIA+ employee resource group at Wieden+Kennedy London, Today is Gay was born as a response to corporations pulling back on LGBTQIA+ support—whether by scaling back inclusive policies, removing queer-focused events from internal calendars, or dialing down supportive communications. Best of all, it’s a free Google Calendar plugin, meaning it works seamlessly with the work calendars used by over 500,000 companies and millions of people worldwide.
When I tested the calendar recently, one entry stood out: a note on Commander Michael Trestrail, a member of Queen Elizabeth’s personal bodyguard who resigned after his relationship with a male sex worker was revealed. “Later reports alleged Queen Elizabeth intervened to stop Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher from turning the ‘gays in the Palace’ situation into a public scandal,” the calendar explains.
Other daily entries span a wide range of important moments and figures: the legalization of same-sex marriage in Canada, the birth of trailblazing LGBTQIA+ historian Lillian Faderman, and the life of Rokas Źilinskas—Lithuania’s first openly gay politician. There are even fun, little-known facts: like how Glenn Burke, the first Major League Baseball player to come out as gay, is credited with inventing the high-five; or how Michelangelo’s grandnephew adjusted pronouns in the sculptor’s poetry to downplay his same-sex attractions. Every entry feels like a small, fascinating window into a history that’s often overlooked.
You can access the calendar directly through its website, which also includes step-by-step instructions for installing the plugin. For those who want to stay updated on the go, there’s an official Instagram account too, where you can follow along with daily highlights.
“This project was truly a labor of love,” says Winona Wee, co-lead of The Ginger Beers and a senior creative at Wieden+Kennedy London. “I feel so lucky to work with friends who volunteered their time and heart to make this happen. We split the work by month—Wil’s Australian, Andre’s Brazilian, Jonathan’s British, and I’m Singaporean—and the events we picked really reflect that diversity. Along the way, I learned so much about queer history: the triumphs, the hardships, and all the lives and legacies that never made it into our school textbooks.”
Wil Koslowski, a comms planner at Wieden+Kennedy London, adds: “It’s been devastating to watch institutions back away from Pride and realize how fragile our progress really is. It’s a harsh reminder that their ‘acceptance’ was never permanent. But Today is Gay turned that loss into something hopeful—it’s been a joyful way to fight back.
“Queer history is all about being loud, proud, and unapologetically visible—no matter how few resources or how little support we have. If corporations are quietly erasing queer people from their calendars? We’re putting those stories right back onto everyone else’s. Good luck trying to erase this one.”
