June is Pride Month: Dr Hein Scheffer

 

Pride – ‘a party with a purpose’?

~ Dr Hein Scheffer

 

Originally, I wanted to write about the history of Pride. However, as I did some research and shared an early draft with a friend of mine, I realised that in just looking at a historic overview, I am likely to be missing the point about what Pride means for the LGBTQIA+ community, and why this celebration is so important. So, I spoke to some colleagues, family, and friends (all names have been anonymised). However, as I am an unashamed history geek, I attached the original historic overview, as an Appendix 1 for fellow history enthusiasts.

Personally, I knew very little about Pride and have yet to attend a Pride Parade. However, I was keen to better understand why Pride is important, what it means for colleagues, family, and friends and so I drew on some views in Australia, South Africa, and the United Kingdom.  Whilst this is in no way an academic study, I hope it offers some real lived experiences and views, that builds a picture of what Pride means for different people across the globe and I am very grateful to everyone who shared their views with me.

All the people I spoke to saw Pride as a celebration, an opportunity to promote equality, educate and engage with society and remember those who have suffered because of their sexual orientation or non-cis gender.  Pride is also seen as an occasion for a minority of society to engage with the mainstream and not merely to be tolerated, or even be accepted, but to be recognised and celebrated. One of my family described Pride as taking the power away from all the hate and negativity that people have had, and in some cases, still have towards the LGBTQIA+ community.  It is a space where people feel safe, loved, and have a sense of purpose.

A friend of mine articulated it very eloquently and spoke for others when he described Pride as: “A matter of our very existence…our right to live freely and openly. Pride is a party with purpose; to gather, dream and amplify. It challenges the status quo, attitudes, and perceptions and gives a voice to those who have been overlooked and/or ignored.” Another said that: “Beyond the parade, there are spaces for conversation, organising, art and activism… it’s an opportunity to celebrate.”

However, it was also acknowledged that Pride is not just about partying; it is a call to action, as it ultimately descends from riots and civil disorder, but importantly, it recognises that progress on equality had been made. Pride is about remembering the genesis of Pride and where it comes from.  Some people made the point too, that Pride has become a very commercial, highly orchestrated event that is more visible in some areas than others, with a risk that people become complacent, and things slide backwards.

Several Trans colleagues said that Pride is: “A celebration to fully express ourselves, a place where we feel safe to be who we are, and the recognition that people are more aware of our existence.” There was a warning too, that the situation in the UK seems to be getting worse, so the ‘protest’ element is still hugely important.  It was also argued that Trans people face more challenges, more bureaucracy, to overcome on their journey.

There was consensus, that, if we fail to challenge negative behaviours or ideology, we miss the opportunity to inform or educate, which help to eradicate ignorance and empower people who may not be aware of the impact of their chosen language, actions, or behaviours.

Whilst most had a positive view of Pride, a celebration of self, and a statement of inclusivity, diversity and acceptance, there are some concerns.  Some said that sadly, many of the advances made in previous decades seems to be heading in the wrong directions as it was felt that the UK is becoming an increasingly hostile, dangerous, and intolerant place for LGBT+ people.  My friend from Australia, with lived experiences in South Africa and the UK, felt that the community still faces discrimination at school, workplaces and when accessing services, and this does not seem different to the UK at large.  He argued that the community has faced monumental challenges, intolerance, hostility, and stigma.  In many places these remain, and hard-fought freedom is still threatened.

Reflecting on the discussions I had, to me, it sounds like Pride is a celebration of who we are as a society.  Our uniqueness, our diversity as a nation that is still challenged by homonormativity, (which is the privileging of heteronormative ideals and constructs onto LGBT culture and identity), ignorance, prejudice, homophobia, and transphobia.  Pride is about acceptance that we are all unique, that in a modern enlightened society, we should not assume, but should educate ourselves about others, and the shadows we cast. Being more tolerant, treating people the way we wished to be treated, even if our views or convictions may be different.  Regardless, we should all be more understanding, through self-education, reducing prejudice, more respectful and acceptance of others, as we wish them to respect and accept us.

The UK could be perceived as a safe place to be LGBT+, with stoning or even the death penalty still in existence in some other countries.  Pride plays a vital role in demonstrating equality, tolerance, and acceptance to these countries.  However, even in the UK, there remain pockets of our society, and our workplaces, that do not embrace others for who they are.  As an organisation we often proclaim that everyone, in every workplace should feel safe, welcome, and free to be their complete self.  I would argue that when all people regardless of their sexual status or orientation feels safe at work, we will transform the workplace culture to make it a more tolerant, diverse, and inclusive space for everyone.  I wish to close with some inspiring words from Rick Parnell, former Chief Executive of the United Nations Foundation:

“To realise a world of equality and dignity for all, we will have to change laws and policies; we will also have to change hearts and minds.  Every sector and every person can play a role, speaking out to remind the world that it should not be illegal to live your life as you are and to live your life with whomever you love.”[1]

I hope that this very short consideration of Pride and the attached historic overview, was helpful to reflect, educate and to reduce homophobia and transphobia.  We are not all the same, and that is OK.  Let’s establish a zero tolerance to homophobia or transphobia and I wish the LGBT+ community and all of us a very joyous Pride month.

 

Appendix 1 ~ A historic overview of Pride

 

The Stonewall riots took place on 28 June 1969, when New York police raided a gay club in Greenwich Village in New York City.  This sparked days of unrest but served as a catalyst for the gay rights movement in America, and the wider world.[2]  As the world became more aware of the plight of gay people, a more tolerant and inclusive society become more diverse, included transgender people and a variety of other protective categories, that is often reference in the press as being ‘woke’. A term that found its origins in Afro-American vocabulary but could be defined as ‘being conscious of racial discrimination in society and other forms of oppression and injustice’[3].

In March 2023, the BBC published an on-line article confirming that 64 countries still have laws that criminalising homosexuality, with nearly half of these in Africa.  Whilst there are still several strictly conservative countries, several Africa countries have moved to decriminalised same-sex unions and improve rights for LGBT+ people.  In addition, countries like Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, and Singapore followed suit, declaring their discriminatory laws as unconstitutional. In Africa, countries like Angola, Botswana, Gabon, Mozambique, and the Seychelles have all ban discrimination because of sexual orientation and activity.   However, Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda and Zimbabwe remain firm in their resolve against homosexuality.[4]   

Whilst great progress on inclusivity has been made in the UK, it has not been an easy journey.  According to Steven Dryden, from the British Library, the history of LGBT+ in the UK dates back to 1533 and King Henry VIII, who criminalised any form of homosexual activity.  This impacted the entire British Empire for hundreds of years, with convictions punishable by death, some that have remained to this day.  For the UK, this lasted until 1861, when the death penalty was abolished for acts of homosexuality, instead being made punishable by a minimum of 10 years imprisonment.  There were various amendments that followed in 1967 whilst the Stonewall riots of 1969 in America saw the formation of the UK’s Gay Liberation Front (GLF) in 1970.  They created the first Pride march from Hyde Park to Trafalgar Square in London on 1 July 1972.[5]

After the turn of the millennium, things started to change for the better, with the repealing of Section 28 of the Local Government Act, 1988, followed by an apology from the then Prime Minster David Cameron in 2009 for this offensive piece of legislation.  In 2004 the Civil Partnership Act, 2004 allowed same-sex couples to legally enter relationships like marriage, whilst the Gender Recognition Act, 2004 gave trans people full legal recognition of their gender, allowing for a new amended birth certificate.  The Marriage (Same-Sex Couples) Act, 2013 making same-sex marriage legal on 13 January 2020 in the full sense of the word.

The Equality Act, 2010 gave LGBT+ employees protection from discrimination, harassment, and victimisation at work.  The legislation brought together existing legislation and added protections for trans workers, solidifying rights granted by the Gender Recognition Act.[6]

 

[1] UN Leadership on LGBT Rights | unfoundation.org

[2] https://www.history.com/topics/gay-rights/the-stonewall-riots

[3] https://www.dictionary.com/browse/minority

[4] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-43822234

[5] https://www.mylearning.org/stories/proud-the-first-gay-pride-in-london/1431

[6] https://www.bl.uk/lgbtq-histories/articles/a-short-history-of-lgbt-rights-in-the-uk