The essence of Pride...

I was on the London Pride March in the pouring rain a few weeks ago, with many thousands of other people, and had a moment of wondering why I was still doing this after all these years and was it still needed or important.
There were the outrageous floats and thousands of people lining the route - tourists snapping photographs and workmen in building sites cheering us on . There were the
police in their shiny uniforms, the fire brigde and army and big companies with expensive floats.
All a far cry from the early Gay Pride marches I went on in the early 1970's where there were a few hundred people. We were usually outnumbered by police and passers by then were horrified, hostile and abusive. I even once saw someone faint with the shock of it all . A friend had brought a photo of an early march with banners
saying Homosexuals are Revolting and men with long hair and flairs looking serious
and determined, and it brought it all back to me. In those days we were often given
the most bizarre routes to march along. I remember in particular one route which
wandered though the back streets of West London and ended up at Shepherd Bush
market to the consternation of the fruit and veg sellers.
There were also many moments of drama - once a group of drag queens suddenly
tried to storm Downing Street and for a moment the police were not quite sure how to
react. Another time a group of us sat down in the street and blocked the traffice and
started chanting Remember Stonewall -which completely mystified the police who had
no idea which Wall we were urging people to remember (Nowadays its probably more
likely your average police officer could tell you more about the Stonewall riots than
most lesbians and gay men!)
Yet as the rain got fiercer and I was wondering whether this was all worth the effort I
happened to notice a group of people who were clearly amazed by the diverstiy of
lesbians and gay men appearing in front of them - and overheard one woman say to
her husband, "Surely he's not" as a particurly hairy beefy man wandered past her. I
decided it was all worth it, if only to convince this one women that gay men can be
hirsute. I was also struck by the number of young lesbians and gay men marching with
pride and self confidence who expected to be cheered and applauded and realised
that those high expectations still need to be displayed in public.
The violence and opposition which is generated by attempts to organised Pride events
in other countries , especially in parts of Eastern Europe , shows that our enemies are
all too aware of the power of visible and proud lesbians and gay men. We need to be
supporting these Pride events in whatever ways we can. Suggest your local Pride
twins with a Pride facing difficulty, send them money or moral support or ideas.
I was at a meeting last year of a small group of lesbian and gay activists who were
planning a Pride March in Instanbul and for them the obstacles they faced in terms of
wondering how many people would turn up, potential violence from religious
extremists or whether they would get any coverage in the local press were enormous.
Yet they were confident and determined to grow a Pride presence in their city.
In Manchester Pride, thanks to the dedication of volunteers and a handful of paid staff,
have created over a number of years an event which is a celebration of LGBT life, an
opportunity to remember those who have died of AIDS and a way of raising much
needed monies for LGBT and HIV And AIDS charities. To those who say it is just a
drunken beer festival I would say organise some alternatives - a raunchy Saspirila
night, an Earl Grey afterparty - reform the Temperance League and march up and
down the Village touting for trade. To those who complain it is not political enough - I
would say organise a political event, discussion, conference, picket, whatever - I'm
sure the organisers would be only too happy to help you do that.
To those who complain that it is too expensive - I would say tell me a cheaper way to
organise a huge four day fundraising event for the price of a round of drinks or a taxi
fare -and I will be all ears. Whatever Pride you are able to get to have a fabulous one.