While all around the world, demonstrations are organized against police violence and racism, actors in the death of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor or Adama Traoré, it is important to remember that these subjects are also at the heart of the birth of Pride Month.
Internationally, June is LGBT + pride month: all around the world, we celebrate this community, by letting them speak and by organizing marches and parades.
The choice of June is not trivial, because, often overlooked by the general public, the event behind what is now called Pride, took place in New York, June 28, 1969.
Stonewall riots
In a bar called the Stonewall Inn, LGBT + people enjoy their evening in a homophobic and transphobic world where police raids are common in this type of establishment.
And that evening was no exception: a group of police disembarked, and violently arrested people without identity cards and wearing so-called "reserved" clothes of the opposite kind.
As tension mounts, one of the officers strikes a lesbian activist, Stormé DeLaverie, who collapses, and begins to bleed. The coup caused a revolt among the crowd, and two transgender women, Sylvia Riveira and Marsha P. Johnson, were said to have been the first to respond to law enforcement. The neighbors of the neighborhood, rather LGBT + friendly, begin to flock, and a real revolt begins.
Following this riot, which lasted a good part of the night, the police arrested 13 people, after having beaten dozens. It is estimated that nearly 2,000 civilians and 400 police officers clashed that evening. And if the crowd eventually disperses, the activists return to occupy the premises the same evening, and all those who will follow.
A few days later, a demonstration will be authorized by New York city: the LGBT + community and their allies then parade through the streets of the big apple, to denounce the police violence against them, and to demand equal rights with the heterosexual.
On their panels, one can read “Come Out”, “Gay Power”, and above all… “Gay Pride”.
Literally "gay pride", the expression will be used as the name for the event, before being replaced by "Pride March" years later, to include all members of the community.
In 2020, more than necessary commitment
It is therefore for this reason that, for more than 50 years now, we have been walking almost all around the world in the colors of the rainbow flag during the month of June: never to forget that some people fought. es so that everyone has the right to be and love whoever they want.
But beyond that, it is important to remember that without these transgender, black or Latin American women, the Pride March might never have seen the light of day, and the evolution of the rights granted to the queer community may not be as advanced as it is today in some cultures.
While we can think of it as futile, and above all serving as a pretext to party, Pride is a real symbol of the fight against police violence, which has undoubtedly lost some of its meaning over the years, while the situation is gradually getting better. It is also, and above all, a joyful event where we can openly be proud of who we are while claiming our rights: but we must not forget where she was born, and thanks to which minority communities. and oppressed.
In complete resonance with the current uprising around the #BlackLivesMatter movement, and the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, killed during police checks, this pride month 2020 was only more committed: in addition to meeting in demonstrating, we were able to let the creators of queer and noir.es speak on social networks.
An important and necessary return to basics, which can only strengthen our ties and make our struggles ever more just.
See also: why should you know transgender activist Marsha P. Johnson?