THEGAYUK

Category: Pride

  • OP ED: Pride needs to keep hold of its roots

    It’s Saturday 28th May 2016 and I’m at Birmingham Pride. I attend each year and always have a great time. However, I cannot help but have mixed feelings about it too. Something sits very uncomfortably with me, despite the fact that I have a good time.

    Before I continue, I must first congratulate Birmingham Pride for successfully running a festival of such magnitude. It’s not an easy task, but year after year the organisers do an amazing job of it and for that they must be praised.

    As a fellow Pride organiser, the last thing I want to do is criticise another Pride event, as I know how difficult it is to put everything together. However, there is an aspect of Pride that worries me. That is the fact that the spirit of Pride seems to be getting lost along the way.

    When the Pride movement began, Pride was a protest. People marched for their rights and what they believed in. Now that LGBT people have almost full equality in law, I can’t help feeling that the true meaning of Pride is being lost, despite parades and marches still being a part of such events.

    I’m sure we are all aware that the larger Prides are now commercial machines that do not fully represent LGBT people or the spirit of the Pride movement. An example of this can be seen when looking at main stage performance line-ups. I only attended Birmingham Pride on the Saturday, but to my knowledge there was only one LGBT performer on the main stage that day. The rest were heterosexual and cisgender. It lacked the kind of representation that LGBT people deserve at a Pride festival.

    It appears to be increasingly common these days for Pride festivals to book lots of straight acts to appear on their main stages. Having looked at several Pride line-ups, I’ve wondered where the LGBT representation is. Recently, somebody was protesting on Twitter that a certain Pride didn’t have any LGBT acts booked. I don’t know if that’s actually the case or not, but the lack of LGBT performers at LGBT Pride events is a worrying trend.

    At Warwickshire Pride, 90% of this year’s main stage line-up is LGBT. It’s a percentage that we strive to increase or at least maintain each year in order for the festival to truly represent the people it primarily caters for.

    That’s not to say that Warwickshire Pride is leading where others should follow. Far from it, in fact. It’s entirely up to the organisers of each Pride event to book the acts they want, move in the direction that they view as being best, and to respond to the wishes or needs of the community that they represent. At Warwickshire Pride, we pride ourselves on being a little bit different to other Prides and a lot of that comes from the feedback that local LGBT people provide. Yes, we have some fabulous elements such as Angie Brown and Wagner from the X Factor performing last year, but ultimately we try to create something in the spirit of the original Pride movement.

    Perhaps it’s the activist in me. Every part of my being is about furthering the rights of LGBT people, both legally and socially. I believe that Pride is absolutely a protest, but do acknowledge that it’s a celebration too. There is nothing wrong with celebrating. However, I also feel that as a Pride movement we are in danger of losing touch with our roots.

    What I’d like to see is more Prides having actual LGBT performers on their main stages, not just confined to cabaret tents. I’d also like to see more protesting and highlighting of social issues that our communities face. Finally, I’d like to see Prides being more inclusive. There are four letters in the acronym LGBT and it’s important that the B & T are remembered and included. This is something that the smaller, grassroots Pride events do very well, but it’s time that the larger Prides stepped up and truly represented their communities once more.

     

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    Opinions expressed in this article may not reflect those of THEGAYUK, its management or editorial teams. If you’d like to comment or write a comment, opinion or blog piece, please click here.

  • Madrid Pride Roundup

    Madrid Pride. It’s one of, if not the, largest Pride events in Europe. Visited by around 2 million people every year, this week long festival is jam packed full of amazing parties, events, street festivals and a parade that will knock the socks of anyone game enough to visit. Known as Orgullo (Spanish for Pride), the whole event is open to, and greatly visited by, people from all walks of life, so finding your LGBT+ brothers and sisters may be a little trickier earlier in the festival.

    Madrid Pride
    CREDIT: Aaron Holloway

    Not only is the Main Parade on Saturday afternoon at 6pm, the WE Party festival begins a few days earlier and provides a mega-gay party event every day until the end of the festival. For those who aren’t into the massive man-flesh crush that is a circuit festival – and I know you’re out there – the City of Madrid offered a complete week of events and live music concerts and DJ’s to keep you dancing until the early hours of morning.

    Madrid Pride
    Aaron Holloway

    Our week began with a short trip from the airport to Madrid centre which is easily accessible by a combination of the Metro (40+ mins) or the Metro and the TVL train (20+ mins). The tickets are available in cards of ten, and you’ll need to buy an airport pass for a few euro extra per person when you leave the airport on the metro. Exact fares and combinations available alter depending on if you’re arriving to T 1-3, or T4, but the trip takes about 30 minutes, and costs less than 5€ each way.

    Once in town, we had a cosy little apartment looking over Placa del Sol, which is a main meeting point, tourist hub and metro/highspeed rail station. From Sol it’s a short walk up the affectionately named ‘Hooker Street’, which is lined with women asking you to dine in her restaurant, or men and women, offering more intimate nights out, towards Chueca which is the main gay area of the city. Not that during Pride it’s easy to tell the gay areas from the non-gay areas: pride flags fly from almost every balcony, shop window, store front, stores have ‘pride sales’, and seeming pop-up-stores appear out of nowhere to sell ‘minis’, which are basically 700ml cups of mojito or sangria. No one seems to know why they’re called minis – it’s just a Madrid thing.

    Madrid Pride
    Aaron Holloway
    Madrid Pride
    Aaron Holloway
    Madrid Pride
    Aaron Holloway

    All around Chueca you can find singing, dancing, music, and people relaxing and drinking, and generally having a good time. It’s here that you can find tiny little bars that will sell you a beer for 6€ and also give you a plate of tapas for free – each new beer brings a new plate – it can be a very cheap way to eat out on some local(ish) specialties. Speaking of specialties, *the* thing to eat in Madrid is calamari on a baguette, and the best place to have it, is a cute little diner called The Little Bell. It seems to be almost all they serve, and is literally deep-fried calamari on a short baguette bread. It’s wonderfully delicious if not a little strange. As my friend Matt commented: ‘How is seafood a specialty in a city in the middle of Spain?’ While we’re on food, traditional Madrid food is a wonderful mix of seafood and meat. Dishes are covered more in oil than not, and if you want a salad with your plate of meat, make sure you order a side salad, or you might literally get a quarter of a tomato as your salad. It seemed to me that the lovely Spaniards aren’t big on ‘healthy’ eating.

    Aaron Holloway
    Aaron Holloway
    Aaron Holloway
    Aaron Holloway

    Despite the seemingly unhealthy food, the Spaniards are generally a very attractive people. And the Pride parade gives them ample opportunity to show it all off. The parade starts at 6pm, so that it’s not too hot, although when we arrived to watch at about 8pm, the local firefighters were hosing down the crowd with the truck hoses. Unfortunately they were all fully dressed. The crowd on the other hand, not so much. While some people just went shirtless, others came in costumes of all kinds, rainbows were flying from every visible hand, surface, tree, and body. They even had a massive rainbow flag draped over the Madrid Town Hall from top to bottom in the first time in the parade’s history. The parade made its way slowly down the street past a water fountain lit in rainbow colours, towards the Town Hall, where a massive stage had been set up to provide a live band and an all-night party to entertain the crowd for hours. One of the interesting things about the Madrid pride is that it is not only frequented by Madrid’s gay population, but also by other members of the general community, bringing families and friends together to enjoy the celebration of individual expression and acceptance that embodies the modern pride parade era.

    Madrid Pride
    CREDIT: Aaron Holloway
    Madrid Pride
    CREDIT: Aaron Holloway

    Madrid Pride

    ADVERT

    [adinserter block=”1″]

    The Madrid pride festival runs for a week at the beginning of July each year. Dates vary from year to year, the parade is always on the Saturday at the end of the festival beginning at 6pm. Nightly free street festivals and concerts are presented by the City of Madrid free of charge at various sites around the city.

    Madrid Pride
    Aaron Holloway
    Madrid Pride
    Aaron Holloway
    Madrid Pride
    Aaron Holloway
    Madrid Pride
    Aaron Holloway
    Madrid Pride
    Aaron Holloway
    Madrid Pride
    Aaron Holloway

    Madrid is serviced by all major airlines from cities across the UK and Europe.

  • China’s Only Gay Pride Returns For Eighth Year

    Mainland China’s Gay Pride returns for its 8th year. ShanghaiPRIDE announces details of China’s only LGBT pride

    (more…)

  • World’s “Sexiest” Prime Minister Joins Canada Pride Event

    North America’s largest Pride festival unveils Canada’s first-ever Pride Month.

    Pride Toronto, the city’s most vibrant and inclusive arts and cultural festival and North America’s largest Pride celebration, has unveiled its 2016 Pride Month theme, announcing to the world that this June, “YOU CAN SIT WITH US.” The campaign for Canada’s first-ever Pride Month, features Canada’s top political leaders: noted “sexiest man alive” and “politician dreamboat” (Vogue) Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, openly out Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne and partner Jane Rounthewaite and Toronto Mayor John Tory who will all participate in this year’s festivities in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

    Pride Toronto’s 2016 Parade will make Canadian history, with Justin Trudeau participating as Canada’s first ever sitting Prime Minister to march, alongside leadership from both Toronto’s municipal and Ontario’s provincial governments.

    To celebrate the power and beauty of its diverse community, Pride Toronto held an open photo shoot for community members, artists and city leaders to show their Pride. The event was met with an overwhelming response, enabling the campaign to showcase over 300 community members of all ages, sexual orientations, gender identities, gender expressions and ethnicities.

    “If a picture is worth 1,000 words, maybe 1,000 pictures has the potential to give a true face to our community. And what a truly diverse and beautiful community we have,’” said Mathieu Chantelois, Pride Toronto Executive Director. “By striking a pose for our camera crew, hundreds took a stand for Pride Toronto, they are telling the world that it’s ok to sit with us, but also to rally, march, celebrate, love and change the world with us.”

    Noted personalities in the campaign also include: Ministers of Canadian parliament, Toronto City Councillors, Trans activists, the Toronto Police Service Chief of Police, the Guinness World Record Holder for Oldest Performing Drag Queen, DJs, artists and performers, along with Pride Toronto’s recently announced 2016 Honoured Group, Black Lives Matter – Toronto.

    This year’s theme is a play on, and response to, the infamous line from the 2004 cult-classic film Mean Girls. ‘YOU CAN SIT WITH US’ conveys a strong message of belonging and inclusion – a sentiment that was heard in consultations with community members.

    Canada’s first-ever Pride Month will launch on 1 June, featuring extended programming and provocative events throughout the city, culminating the much-anticipated Pride Parade on 3 July.

  • Did TV Star Colton Haynes Just Come Out As Gay?

    Colton Haynes Just Came Out, Kind Of, In A Really Chilled Way.

    TV star Colton Haynes has signalled that he maybe gay via his official Tumblr account after a fan revealed that he was excited about Colton’s “secret gay past’.
    The Teen Wolf and Arrow star rather meekly, sort of came out after acknowledging that him being gay wasn’t a secret.
    The 27-year-old TV star was responding to a comment on Tumblr when he said that him having a secret gay past wasn’t really a secret.
    A fan excitedly wrote on Colton’s Tumblr;

    “when I found out colton haynes had a secret gay past i got so excited even though i know it makes absolutely no difference in my life”

    Colton responded by saying,

    “Was it a secret? Let’s all just enjoy life & have no regrets :)”

    we totally agree…

  • 23 Incredible Gay Pride Quotes

    There are some amazing LGBT Pride quotes out there, here are some of our favourites.

    “If a bullet should enter my brain, let that bullet destroy every closet door.”
    – Harvey Milk

    “Being gay is natural. Hating gay is a lifestyle choice.”
    – John Fugelsang

    “Why is it that, as a culture, we are more comfortable seeing two men holding guns than holding hands?”
    – Ernest Gaines

    “It always seemed to me a bit pointless to disapprove of homosexuality. It’s like disapproving of rain.”
    – Francis Maude

    Understand that sexuality is as wide as the sea. Understand that your morality is not law. Understand that we are you. Understand that if we decide to have sex whether safe, safer, or unsafe, it is our decision and you have no rights in our lovemaking.
    – Derek Jarman

    Marriage should be between a spouse and a spouse, not a gender and a gender.
    – Hendrik Hertzberg

    At some point in our lifetime, gay marriage won’t be an issue, and everyone who stood against this civil right will look as outdated as George Wallace standing on the school steps keeping James Hood from entering the University of Alabama because he was black.
    -George Clooney

    I hate the word Homophobia. It’s not a phobia. You’re not scared. You’re an asshole.
    – Morgan Freeman

    People only attack what they fear.
    – Petrie Hosken

    When all Americans are treated as equal, no matter who they are or whom they love, we are all more free.
    – Barack Obama

    We’re sick of hearing people say, “That band is so gay,” or “Those guys are fags.” Gay is not a synonym for shitty. If you wanna say something’s sh*tty, say it’s shitty. Stop being such homophobic assholes.
    – Pete Wentz

    Kim Kardashian made 17 million dollars off her wedding. Divorced 72 days later & they’re worried about gays ruining the sanctity of marriage?
    – @WorldGayPride

    Is being gay a phase? Alright then… It started when I was born and it’ll end when I die.
    – Jake Hook

    When I was in the military they gave me a medal for killing two men and a discharge for loving one.
    – Epitaph of Leonard P. Matlovich

    My lesbianism is an act of Christian charity. All those women out there praying for a man, and I’m giving them my share.
    – Rita Mae Brown

    Don’t hide behind the Constitution or the Bible. If you’re against gay marriage, just be honest, put a scarlet ‘H’ on your shirt, and say, “I am a homophobe!”
    – Henry Rollins

    If homosexuality is a disease, let’s all call in queer to work: “Hello. Can’t work today, still queer.”
    – Robin Tyler

    War. Rape. Murder. Poverty. Equal rights for gays. Guess which one the Southern Baptist Convention is protesting?
    -The Value of Families

    My mother took me to a psychiatrist when I was fifteen because she thought I was a latent homosexual. There was nothing latent about it.
    – Amanda Bearse

    Rather than ignore those who choose to publish their opinions without actually talking to me, I am happy to dispel any rumors or misconceptions and am quite proud to say that I am a very content gay man living my life to the fullest and feel most fortunate to be working with wonderful people in the business I love.
    – Neil Patrick Harris

    My thoughts on gay marriage are that everyone has the right to love and be loved, and that’s the position I take.
    – Nick Jonas

    Being transgender, like being gay, tall, short, white, black, male, or female, is another part of the human condition that makes each individual unique, and something over which we have no control. We are who we are in the deepest recesses of our minds, hearts and identities.
    – Linda Thompson

  • Pride event bans Drag Queens in case they offend

    Glasgow’s Free Pride, not to be mistaken for Glasgow Pride, has taken steps to ban drag queens from its Pride after a trans and non-binary caucus decided some drag acts could offend.

    A pride event has become the first in the UK to officially ban drag queens from its event after deciding that some drag acts could offend.

    UPDATED: 20th July 2:36

    A pride event has become the first in the UK to officially ban drag queens from performing at its event after deciding that some drag acts could offend.

    A statement released by the “anti-commercialist” pride event reads:

    “After much discussion, the trans and non binary caucus decided not to have drag acts perform at the event.

    “This does not mean that people of any gender can’t wear what they want to the event, we simply won’t be having any self-described drag acts perform at our Free Pride Event on the 22nd August. We hope people can understand and support our decision. However we feel it important to fully explain why we came this decision.

    “The decision was taken by transgender individuals who were uncomfortable with having drag performances at the event. It was felt that it would make some of those who were transgender or questioning their gender uncomfortable.”

    However the policy has led to many commenters to react angrily accusing the pride to be bigoted against cis people and question its role as a non-discriminatory event.

    One user commenting on Free Pride’s facebook page reminded Free Pride organisers that the gay pride movement was started when Drag queens “stood up against oppression” and that they should be “lauded not excluded” Glasgow Pride responded to Free Pride’s policy by saying,

    Glasgow Pride, Scotland’s largest Pride event, responded to Free Pride’s policy by saying,

    “We can understand the actions behind Free Pride over the banning of Drag Performers but believe this to action to (be) wrong and going against what an inclusive event should be about. As an organisation Pride Glasgow had a similar discussion back in 2010 over how Drag could cause discomfort to people however we took the decision that Drag Queens and Kings play an important part in the history of the Pride movement and should be included within the event.”

    In March the students union passed a motion banning cross-dressing or drag due to the offence it could cause trans women.

    Disclosure: THEGAYUK is a media sponsor for Glasgow Pride.

     

  • Gay Ugandans Hold Pride After Anti-Homosexuality Bill Annulled

    Hundreds of LGBTs and allies have turned out to a Pride event in Uganda after the annulment of the anti-homosexuality bill.

    Around two hundred people turned up to a pride event in Entebbe, 25 miles away from the Ugandan capital Kampala yesterday, after the anti-homosexuality law was annulled last week. The law was reversed on a technicality, because the law had been passed by a parliament without quorum.

    This is he third ever pride event in Uganda.

    ‘We are a group of people who have suffered enough,” said Ugandan lesbian activist Jacqueline Kasha. ‘We are Ugandans who have the right to gather in a public place … and we are going to have fun.’

    Many of the attendees wore face masks to protect their identity, fearing violent repercussions. The vast majority of Ugandan society sees homosexuality as morally wrong and sinful.

    The law that was signed by President Yoweri Museveni in February introduced tough penalties including life sentences on anyone who is caught engaging in same-sex relationships.

    Lawmakers in Uganda are already working to restore the law once parliament returns recess.

  • Gay Penguins Become Best Fathers At Zoo

    In a Wildlife park in Kent two male penguins have become surrogate fathers.

    Two male Humboldt Penguins called Kermit and Jumbs at Wingham Wildlife Park have been made surrogate parents for an egg, which has just hatched. The egg was abandoned by the mother.

    Head of birds and mammals at the park Becky Johnson explained: ‘It was a shame to see the hetrosexual pair leave their egg, largely because the male deserted his share of the duties.’

    ALSO READ: Top 10 gay animals

    Park owner Tony Binskin said ‘These two have so far proven to be the best penguin parents we have had. But we have had to bring in two new males to keep the balance of the group.

    ‘We are still very much starting our breeding efforts with this species, and this is only our second year, but having such good surrogate parents available should we need them is a huge bonus for us.

    ‘Being brought up by individuals of the same species always has a better outcome for animals being reared. While we will intervene and hand rear animals if necessary, it is something we prefer to avoid.’

  • Nottingham Pride Faces Closure After Racking Up Debts

    The charity that runs Nottingham Pride has announced plans to close the pride, unless a generous benefactor helps raise the cash needed to continue.

    The annual pride event which was created in 2003 has announced that it is to close its doors after failing to raise enough money to keep it going.

    The BBC report that the acting chairman Ben Holmes said that ‘the charity has been in financial trouble for the last three years but tried scaling down the event to save money.’

    ‘I have invested many years of my life into making sure the event happened and unfortunately it has come to a point where we have to look at where it is going in the future,’ said Mr Holmes.

    ‘We are losing sponsors and we lost an awful lot of money from companies that are no longer going. We are not generating enough funds.

    ‘We hope something can happen. The charity could be saved if money comes in but unfortunately that doesn’t look likely.’

    The Pride event which was in its 10th year costs £30,000 to host and they asked each visitor to donate just £1, however this year only one third of the estimated 14,000 attendees made a contribution.

    On a statement on their website Nottingham Pride said,

    ‘We have now had time to count the donations received from the community who attended Nottinghamshire Pride and can announce that we raised a total of £4279.86 on the day.

    ‘We would like to say thank to those who donated, but regret to inform that this is somewhat short of the £12,000 we needed to raise on the day.

    ‘This means that unless an anonymous benefactor would like to make up the difference, we will have no choice but to explore options for charging at next year’s event. This is not a move we as a committee want to make, but following feedback from the community last year, we made 2013 donation entry and haven’t raised enough – this has somewhat forced our hand.’

    The charity has amassed £17,000 worth of debt.

  • OPINION | Somethings Change, And Some Things Stay The Same

    In recent time we have seen through various media channels, the march for equal marriage seems to be marching globally and at an ever increasing pace.

    I don’t know about anyone else but when I look at each news announcement I feel a sense of excitement and joy that the world takes another step towards a more fair and just world.

    But at the same time, how big are our steps forward? What do they realistically mean to us on the ground that lives each day with the problems and issues that (currently) come with being LGBT? Have things changed that dramatically over the past 40 years? I’ll confess at this point that I am 26 so my accounts of what occurred in the 70s and 80s are based on history and what friends who lived through those periods have told me.

    In the last 50 or so years the LGBT community has seen many ups and downs. Starting with the Stonewall clashes in 1969 right the way through to the bombing of the Admiral Duncan in 1999 and the “Straight Alliance” marches of today. During the 70’s and 80’s homophobia was widespread and very much an ‘accepted’ legitimate view by most governments. And that isn’t just in this country, but all over the world. ‘Coming out’ was very much a life or death decision for many in the LGBT community. Most chose not to and either buried their feelings or lived a “double life”. There was very little in the way of support and counselling and even less in the way of public support and promotion.

    Having said that, during all this darkness and struggle the LGBT community was exactly that; a community. From stories that I have been told and recollections from others who lived in London and Manchester at those times, the communities there stuck together to help each other out. If there was an assault they would rally round each other or if a “gay-friendly” bar or pub was under threat of closure they would come to support and boost numbers. By all accounts, the community was so underground but at the same time so close-knit that it even gave rise to the infamous “hanky code”. (For those that don’t know if it, I highly recommend you Google it. It’s very… interesting!).

    So in the 21st century, the age of information and connection where are we? Are we any closer to that Holy Grail that is equality? Well, let’s start with the last point; the hanky code and ‘underground’ culture. On the whole, I think this has died out or is dying out. With the establishment of “gay bars” or gay-friendly bars, there is more choice and selection for venues to attend and for the community to meet in. Social media and the wonder that is Grindr has made interacting with each other far easier and in some ways more open. Although social media isn’t everyone’s cup of tea you have to give it credit for opening up the community even further.

    Social media has also meant that the confused teenager or middle aged father of 2 now has an outlet to explore or vent what feelings or inklings they may have. Where would they have gone before to find out more about their feelings? A public toilet? Their local gay bar (if they have one) where they are watched as they go in and out? Not exactly options that fill you with safety and reassurance. However social media offers an outlet where they can explore their feelings, relatively safely and in their own time and terms. Surely that is a step forward?

    How about the sense of community and togetherness? Has the LGBT community gelled together or are we growing further apart? In my experience, I think we are growing further apart. In hard times (financial or otherwise) I have seen several different cases where local bars, businesses or organisations have had to close because the local community hasn’t been there to support them. The old community are still there and still have those principles (myself included) but the new age community don’t seem to have or share those principles. (I apologise if I am doing them an injustice).

    Pride seems like an opportunity to get drunk and sleep with people you otherwise wouldn’t have been able to; well that at least was my experience of it. Pride should be about the community coming together and taking pride in who we are and what we stand for. I could bet any money that at any pride in any part of the world will be at least 2 people dressed in attire that would suit “Madame Helga’s House of Pain”. When did that become part of being gay? And when did that become making a stand for equality? Children attend these pride events… they shouldn’t be exposed to “backless chaps”. But I digress… the point is, what has pride become? I don’t think it’s about pride in who we are and our community anymore, which is a great shame.

    Nationwide and even globally the equality movement is picking up pace and the message seems to be taking hold. This is something to be grateful of and continue to support (and I do) but always be aware of what is happening on the ground. Prejudice, inequality and homophobia are still rampant in this country and we should take pride in all those that work to stamp it out and hope that that message never changes.

    For those of you with a keen film mind, the title of this entry comes from a quote from the Matrix movies. I was watching them the other day and the phrase stuck in my head as something fairly apt. No matter what the age or period, the notion that some things change and some things stay the same still holds true.

     

    Opinions expressed in this article may not reflect those of THEGAYUK, its management or editorial teams. If you’d like to comment or write a comment, opinion or blog piece, please click here.