These to me, are at the core of the Pride movement. And until recently, to those on the outside, looking in, it may have seemed to be all about Joy. A big carnival of joyous celebration of being LGBTQ+. A wonderful,colourful, gay Mardis Gras. All drag queens and flamboyant people having a massive street party. And it is all of that. It's an explosion of rainbow colour that brightens up the world for a few hours. People dancing, singing and cheering. Sheer unadulterated Joy. But don't let the rainbows and flamboyant frocks, and sequins and leather, and ear to ear smiles fool you. Pride is not just a party. It is joy. But it is joy as an act of resistance and defiance. And that defiance and resistance are the true reason for the Pride movement with it's rainbow colours and sparkly glitter.
Quite simply, Pride is a protest. Yes, there is celebration. But at it's core there is protest. The rights of LGBTQ+ people weren't given to us out of kindness or benevolence, by the powers that be. They were hard fought for. Literally fought for. Stonewall was not a colourful parade. It was a riot. A moment when the LGBTQ+ community said enough is enough and dared to defy. Dared to resist. And they fought hard and began a movement that has won many rights for the LGBTQ+ people in many parts of the world. And it has allowed those of us who followed, to be able to express pride in who and what we are, and to be able to share and celebrate the beauty of that with the world. And with that comes the colour, and the joy, and the sparkle of the Pride movement. But as much as it's a celebration, it's also a warning. Don't think we won't fight for our rights, if you start to come for us. We are still defiant and we are ready to resist. And despite the tiny, but noisy minority of gays and lesbians, who try to split us apart, the LGBTQ+ community has the backs of everyone who identifies as being in our family. If necessary Pride can become a powerful movement of resistance, very quickly.
It's important that both the LGBTQ+ community and the wider world know that Pride is a protest as much as a celebration, because the people who would oppress us and persecute us, never went away. They were defeated. They had to slink away into the shadows. But they didn't suddenly become enlightened and queer loving. They sat in the shadows and licked their wounds and planned and plotted the counter resistance. Did the groundwork to prepare to re-assert their odious views and rules upon us. And to resurrect their twisted world order.
So yes the LGBTQ+ community march with joy and colour and glitter and sparkle and, as the name suggests, a whole lot of Pride, but it should always be remembered that it's a celebration of what we have and what we have achieved and who we are. But it's also a big 'FUCK YOU' to anyone who is against us and our right to exist in society. And it's a warning. Don't try and put us back into our old hiding places. We won't go without a fight. And history will always be on our side.
Another aspect of the Pride movement and the big flamboyant celebrations is quite simply, being seen. Being noticed. Being here. One question I hear a lot from the non LGBTQ+ majority is,
"Why do you still need Pride and marches, now you are accepted in society?"
Well there is a growing number of bad actors in the world, who want to rollback on our rights. And so we need to keep ourselves vigilant and seen. We need to have events like Pride to tell our story, our history and show who we are. To engage with the rest of society in a positive way. To break down any barriers or to dispel any prejudice if we can. To show that our differences are small and our similarities are far greater.
And the visibility of Pride and it's colourful celebrations, are hugely important in context of the World. The United Nations recognises 65 nations which explicitly criminalise consensual same‑sex sexual acts between adults. And in 11 of those countries it carries the death penalty. 12 countries criminalise dressing in the clothes of the opposite sex, thereby criminalising being trans. And many other countries have no legislation against prejudice and discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community. Some countries have legislation or guidance in place that intentionally and actively discrimimates against the LGBTQ+ community. So it's important that the Pride movement continues to have it's colourful events, to act as a beacon of hope to shine into the darkest corners of the world.
At the moment there is a concerted effort to undermine the rights of trans people, in many countries that had previously supported them. A concerted campaign to drive these people out of society and back into hiding. This is happening at government level in a number of nations, including the UK, where I live. And it won't stop with the trans people. Once they have been effectively eliminated from participating in society, they will start on the gay and lesbian community. There are efforts to try and prevent organised Pride events being promoted or even taking place. But they will continue to take place. Because they aren't street parties or carnivals or celebrations. They are actually protests. Don't let the rainbows and glitter and sparkle fool you. They are protests and if you try and ban them as events, they will still happen.
Our Pride is Beautiful. Colourful. Loving. Welcoming. Flamboyant. Fun.
But we should never forget it's true spirit.
Joy as an act of resistance.
Deeanna Williams
Proud to be Trans and Queer and a part of the LGBTQ+ community.
🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️
💋💋💋
Post Script
Due to my Wife's worsening health and disability, I have so far been unable to attend any Pride events, since moving to Cornwall. I had planned to attend a local event on Saturday, but my Wife was too ill to be left alone. But one day, I will put on one of my gorgeous vintage dresses and attend one in all of my glory.
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