Gay Pride in the UK – The Movement

No matter your sexual orientation or geographical location, gay pride is nothing new. The LGBTQ community has experienced marginalization and discrimination for eons.

Events like gay pride and the entire movement bring people with non-conforming sexual preferences together, under one forum. With liberty and pursuit of happiness for all resounding in different countries worldwide, the UK hosts Gay Pride events annually, with several events oriented toward the LGBTQ happening several times a year. 

Pride 2020 

Annually, members of the LGBTQ community enjoy gay pride events facilitating meets for gays all over the UK, as well as events catering to the needs of said community. In 2020, this annual event was canceled, like many other celebrations scheduled for that year.

The pandemic mandated that organizers defer the event to 2021, although it was initially scheduled to take place on the 27th of June. 

History of Gay Pride 

Gay pride began with a rally sometime around 1972. The infamous stonewall riots fueled the rage of gay men and women worldwide, opening doors for protests that continued for approximately three days.

It was in response to police officers raiding a gay bar in London in the year 1969. These riots and uproar of the unjust treatment of gay community members set the pace for the first gay pride rally in 1972. 

Equally important is the fact that the stonewall uproar happened in the United States, but what warranted the chaos resounded in London as well. Around 1978, newspaper readers were no strangers to news about violence perpetrated on the gay community.

With the world pressed to answer many unanswered questions regarding the lack of human rights for said people, gay pride events were a political way of making a statement. 

Their tenacity has seen the movement grow to epic proportions. As more members of the gay community come out of the closet, the number of participants of gay pride was approximately 1.5 million in 2019. It is a far cry from the mere 2000 who attended the initial rally decades ago.

Initially, Gay Pride Rally coined, switching to Lesbian and Gay Pride, then LGBT pride movement. As far as being out and proud, gay men and women still experience discrimination regarding workplaces, access to health facilities, and indeed socially. 

It is the cornerstone of gay pride in the UK – it seeks to provide all the information necessary for the LGBTQ community to access such services fully. More importantly, Pride London helps the gay community to air their socio-economic problems with more exposure. 

Gay Pride – 2019 

Before the unfortunate pandemic of 2020, gay pride in the UK experienced a great turn out in 2019, which helped in commemorating 50 years since the Stonewall upheavals.

Over 30K people marched during this event, and the parade played host to 600 groups. It remains to be seen the tenacity and zest with which members of the LGBTQ community will take to the streets come 2021 for the annual Pride event. 

While on the subject of Gay pride in the UK, let’s take a look at some frequently asked questions and answers pertinent to this globally recognized movement. 

FAQ

Conclusion

Gay pride and the movement are here to stay. It’s no secret that the world boasts millions, if not more, of people ready to be out and proud. With events like Gay pride in the UK, more people are likely to embrace their sexuality without fear of rebuke or ridicule fully.

Relevant news