Some, but not all, of bigender people experience gender dysphoria, especially if the two genders have markedly different gender expressions. Definitions were rooted in the expression of "either gender role" or as "having two genders". That’s what Pride has always been and may it long remain.Early examples of the term 'bigender' appear as early as the late 1980s, though at this time it was grouped under the " androgyne" label as "bigenderist". But I’ll also be there with a serious message: to highlight and stand in solidarity with persecuted Russian and Chechen LGBT+ people.
This Saturday, I’ll enjoy the Pride celebration and party mood. But for some of us, it is also a cunning ruse to disarm and subvert homophobia, in ways that po-faced, angry demonstrations can never hope to achieve. The uplifting nature of Pride, with its flamboyance and theatricality, comes out of gay culture. Everyone likes a party and everyone wants to join in. This joyful, exuberant atmosphere is infectious. The unique blend of carnival-like celebration and political demands projects a serious message in a fun way that is attractive to a wide audience, with a far broader appeal than traditional forms of protest. It speaks to LGBT+ people the world over. The previous year, 2016, Pride Uganda was marred by police arrests and brutality, without legal authority and with impunity.īut in many countries Pride has had unparalleled success because it is a just cause, with an ethical purpose, a global resonance and, very importantly, a happy, inclusive vibe. No other political or social movement can match this scale, year on year.Īt the other end of the Pride spectrum, in some countries those attending the festivities number only in the hundreds and suffer severe state repression, as happened in Uganda last year, when government threats of violent attack forced Pride’s cancellation. Madrid, São Paulo, Toronto, Paris, New York and Berlin have each mobilised between 1 and 2 million people. Since then, there has been an exponential growth of Pride celebrations all across the planet. There were similar ground-breaking Pride events in major US cities at around the same time but also with relatively small numbers. Most LGBT+ people were in the closet and had internalised homophobia. To give it broad appeal, we deliberately pitched it as a carnival parade with a LGBT+ liberation theme. Aged 20, together with other members of the Gay Liberation Front, I helped pioneer the UK’s first ever Pride parade, in London in July 1972. The idea of Pride was conceived in the early 1970s as a riposte to the then dominant view – even among many LGBT+ people – that we should be ashamed of our sexual orientation and gender identity. The annual celebrations are the visible manifestation of our queer culture and communities, and our collective international demand for respect, dignity and equal human rights. I have witnessed, in my lifetime, the expansion of Pride events to the farthest corners of the world. Pride is the celebration that unites hundreds of millions of diverse LGBT+ people across the planet. It is the symbol of our common LGBT+ humanity.
Unlike national flags, it is cherished by LGBT+ people – and straight allies – in every nation. Flown in every country, often briefly or secretly in repressive states, no other flag has such international reach and appeal.
More evidence of success is the fact that our rainbow flag is now the most universal flag in the world. All this progress is the result of daring, inventive and unrelenting campaigning – against all odds – by national and international LGBT+ movements. It is an extraordinary accomplishment that more than 2,000 years of homophobic, biphobic and transphobic persecution have been significantly rolled back in most countries in less than half a century.