Whilst Brighton held their pride parade in a more virtual, informal way this year, many other cities across the country are preparing this weekend and beyond to hold the full, public ceremony that people have come to expect.
The parade itself was founded under the idea that with the persecution and erasure of the LGBTQ+ community both locally and internationally, there was a way to stand up and present the message of acceptance and belonging by coming together and celebrating your true self.
However, with the constant commercialisation of the parades by big companies simply looking for advertising possibilities and a society more accepting and evolved than ever, the question remains regarding whether the parade is still needed in the way it was intended to be.
A consistent argument by dissenting voices is the idea that people do not care about LGBTQ+ people being themselves yet disagree with the idea of a public presentation.
While some more misinformed people may vocalise the lack of a straight pride parade as a misplaced attempt at understanding equality, the true concept behind this idea is that people have much more of an issue with it being ‘thrown in their face’ than the actual issue around sexuality.
However, those involved argue that the need for such publicity is vital for the continued integration into society.
Pride parades serve in many ways as the only time some people feel that its acceptable to be themselves. Even in countries as developed as America, someone who identifies as LGBTQ+ can be assaulted and then refused subsequent treatment due to religious grounds if the attending paramedic decides. In the UK, hate crimes still often go unpunished or even laughed off by officers who may have a personal dislike towards the community.
Just as people have disagreements on religion, economic classes and gender discrimination, campaigners want to be recognised and allowed to live in peace worldwide without fear.
These festivals are beacons of light to promote and campaign for the rights of an ever-growing number of the population, and those who live in countries where they will be killed for being themselves.
There is no doubt that such celebrations cause disruption, irritation, and conflict towards the lives some people choose to live. Despite this, the only way for these people to live freely and to have a chance at a normal life is to have one day a year to fight for themselves and the community globally. That is not something that can simply ever stop.
Photo Credit: Margaux Bellott
