History of Pride:
Pride month began in 1970, a year after the iconic 1969 stonewall riots which was a series of riots for gay liberation. The stonewall riots took place over a number of days starting in June 1969 and began after a police raid at the Stonewall Inn in New York. Activists Marsha P Johnson, Sylvia Rivera and Storme DeLarverie are those key people who have become credited with this incredible movement. It is important for us to recognise our history with something that popular culture view as just a party once a year.
What is pride today?
For me, it is three fundamental things: A protest A sharing of knowledge A celebration
Protest – while some people may say LGBTQ+ issues are sorted, look at the number of hate crimes. I go on Twitter daily and I see some sort of hate crime just for someone for being true to themselves – they are battered, bloodied and bruised. Those photos are a daily reminder that Pride isn’t just a protest, and it is a chance to make people remember we are here and who we are. Secondly, it is a chance to learn who we are and where we are going. It is an opportunity to share knowledge about what being LGBTQ+ means, in London and also educating ourselves about what it means around the world, as well as the history of the community. Being gay is still illegal in 62 countries, and in six of those you can be given the death penalty for being homosexual.
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OIE MAGAZINE | ISSUE 01 | JUNE 2024
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