Pride started as a riot.
The coronavirus pandemic may have cancelled Pride parades and festivals or moved them online this year, but some within LGBTQ+ community are being as resilient as ever in the wake of police violence and racist vigilantism across the country.
Over the past several decades, Pride parades have largely become corporate-fueled shells of what they were when they began. This year, alternatives to those mainstream celebrations — like anti-corporate marches and demonstrations that become prominent in many cities — are notably missing from the streets. The radical tradition of protesting police repression and broader stigma and distrimination against the LGBTQ+ community has long manifested in trans and gender non-conforming marches during Pride Month, as well as Dyke March events and other remembrances of Stonewall. Black Pride events often feature political education and HIV outreach efforts alongside festivities.
But in 2020, now that people are engaging in actions to rally against anti-Blackness and in support of police accountability around the world, Pride observances are morphing into Black Lives Matter events.
Hundreds of demonstrators descended upon the historic Stonewall Inn in New York City on the evening of June 2, with some protesters taking arrests following the event. Participants held a vigil to mourn the loss of Tony McDade, a Black trans man who was recently killed by police in Tallahassee, Florida, and several Black LGBTQ+ speakers addressed the crowd. It was one of many actions that took place in New York City shortly before or colliding with the 8pm curfew instituted by Mayor Bill de Blasio.
Meanwhile, organizers in Los Angeles will mark the 50th anniversary of that city’s parade by hosting a Black Lives Matter solidarity march, planned for June 14 at 10 a.m. The demonstration will begin at the intersection of Hollywood and Highland and continue towards West Hollywood.
“In 1970, we gathered on Hollywood Boulevard to protest police brutality and oppression to our community. We will do that again this year, where it began, in solidarity with Black Lives Matter,” said Estevan Montemayor, president of Christopher Street West, the organization that produces L.A. Pride, in a statement to the Los Angeles Times. “We encourage all community members who believe that we must root out this racial injustice and stand in solidarity with the black community and fight for real reform and change in this country on all levels of government to join us in this peaceful protest, in this march for justice.”
It’s not yet clear whether other LGBTQ+ organizations in other parts of the U.S. will follow in this trend, but it’s an encouraging sign that some Pride celebrations, which are usually white-dominated, are recognizing the need to use their cultural cachet, money and privilege to show support for Black lives, including Black LGBTQ+ lives.
But whether because of health limitations, ranges of ability, an employer, police surveillance, COVID-19 risk, or other reasons, not everybody is able to participate on the front lines. There are many ways you can still protest or help out safely, however, whether out in the streets or within one’s home. Here’s a quick overview of some ways to safely participate in protest movements:
Donate to bail funds or activist organizations on the ground
Consult the posts of activists and organizations that are participating in organized action, and others who are supporting the needs of protesters. They may issue calls for bond support, donation needs for food and supplies, and other needs that emerge. Even if they don’t make an explicit ask, donations also help replenish resources that may have been expended as a result of organizing an action. Any donation can go a long way, especially if you give according to your means and abilities.
