Online events replaced it under the slogan: “Postponed, but still united”.
Washington:
Fifty years after the first Gay Pride march, the LGBT community and its supporters organized many of their online events on Saturday, responding to the threat of the coronavirus pandemic.
As some activists took to the streets to mark the event, much of the movement’s energy was channeled to Global Pride, a 24-hour online event broadcast live online.
One of the most important events on the Gay Pride calendar, London Pride, was one of the main victims of the new restrictions imposed by the pandemic.
Online events replaced it under the slogan: “Postponed, but still united”.
But veteran activist Peter Tatchell, wearing a rainbow mask, led a group of 12 fellow activists to mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of the London Gay Liberation Front.
“We are looking to claim pride as an event for LGBT + human rights,” said the 68-year-old activist.
Some events were broadcast on a giant screen in Piccadilly Square and the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, tweeted his support. “We may be separated, but we are still united, as neighbors, allies and as a city.”
In Berlin, police estimated that around 3,500 people walked in temperatures of around 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit).
Foreign Minister Heiko Maas tweeted a message of support for the Global Pride event: “Be proud of yourself! No matter who you love, no matter where you live.”
In Vienna, around 200 cars and motorcycles adorned with rainbow flags and inflatable unicorns paraded through the city’s famous Ringstrasse on Saturday afternoon.
Organizers said around 5,000 people came to watch the event on a reduced scale. The Vienna Rainbow Parade, which normally attracts hundreds of thousands of people, has been replaced by online events.
“Exist, persist, resist ‘
The Global Pride online event – under the slogan “Exist, Persist, Resist” – started at 05:00 GMT in London.
Facing singer and drag queen Todrick Hall, known for his role in the talent show of American Idol, he also presented stars such as Kesha and Ava Max.
Politicians also appeared, including Costa Rican President Carlos Alvarado, whose country has just legalized same-sex marriage.
Global Pride, organized by the organizers of several of the major Gay Pride events around the world, aimed to attract hundreds of millions of viewers worldwide.
In the United States, former President Barack Obama published a video message paying tribute to the gay New Yorkers who revolted at the Stonewall Inn in 1969, effectively launching the modern gay rights movement.
“Due to the movement they started and the decades of work that followed, equality of marriage became law in the country five years ago and this month the Supreme Court ruled that employers should not could more discriminate against LGBTQ workers, “he said.
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden made his own video message referring to a recent Supreme Court decision reaffirming LGBT workers.
“Pride is particularly poignant this year,” he said.
In Argentina, public buildings and monuments will be lit in the rainbow colors of the gay rights movement, and local activists organized a week of online events, although Gay Pride is normally celebrated there in November .
The first Gay Pride march was held in 1970 in New York, to mark the first anniversary of the Stonewall riots, a historic event in the fight for gay rights.
(With the exception of the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
