SEPTEMBER_UNIKUM_WEB (1)

OPINION
TWO SIDES OF PRIDE
Jakub Świerkocki
Writer
Illustration: Freepik // pikisuperstar
Jay Voltaire
Writer
The first pride parade was held on June 28, 1970. People were
marching in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago in the United
States. It was the first anniversary of the Stonewall uprising of the
riots against police raids of gay clubs, of these demonstrations of
brutality and blatant queerphobia. One of the most known names
that makes history in this event was that of Marsha P. Johnson, the
black drag queen and activist.
In 2023, the big question is: How Pride looks now. From one side
we can see that it is still an event for the people. On the other side,
voices say that it is for and by the corporations. We want to discuss
the two sides of this.
Pride parade is still for the people. Queer people around the world
have to still fight for basic human rights. Laws are still being
changed. Countries where people can be killed or beaten for their
sexuality or gender not assigned at birth still persist. Countries that
don’t have equal rights for queer or trans people, where couples
cannot adopt or where you may not change your gender markers
on identification.
While I was talking to people at Pride, the most shocking thing
to me was that people are still needing to fight for trans rights
here in Norway. Here, transgender people need to go through a
long process to get basic gender affirming care. If you want to
transition, whenever you are in the country, you have to go to a
clinic in Oslo. And the general knowledge about the trans and
nonbinary community is still lacking. There is still fear that any
therapist or professional you may talk to will judge you based on
your presentation, your appearance.
Parades gather people from an amplitude of different communities.
It’s a time to feel love, joy, and freedom. It’s a time when people
know that they are not alone in their struggles. The atmosphere is
reassuring and comforting, you feel the understanding that you do
not get from family or school. Pride also serves people in the arena
of publicizing current minority issues. It ensures that problems
people have are heard.
Let’s talk about the other side now.
That Pride has become the platform for politicians and corporations
to use to gain prestige. They don’t care what Pride is about and
what they are fighting for. The latter one used them to sell good
marketing public relations, when the former one use it to gain
votes. They appear at Pride, cheering with everyone, but then when
it comes to action, they do nothing to resolve minority issues. At the
parade they make meaningless promises that they will not think
about if they get into parliament. Many engage in pinkwashing, the
strategy that uses the parade as a source of improving the brand
image. They do the bare minimum to look better in the public eyes
and get more customers.
Since June is the Pride month (And various localized Pride weeks,
such as the one recently in Kristiansand), every corporation is
‘turning gay’. They put on rainbow logos, producing numerous
products marketed for queer people. But what they care about is
money. With every new limited edition pride product produced,
Pride is becoming more corporate than queer. The side that creates
the “accepted” form of the queer people pushing out who are less
to the taste of everyday people, for example polycules, non-typical,
nonbinary people or the kinkier side of the LQBTQ+ community.
The nonheteronormative people are getting objectified for
corporations. They become the solution to achieving their monthly
goals.
So here we are now, in 2023, when the first parade started as a
voice of the riots in Stonewall to now, when Pride is getting
corrupted by the organizations that care more about money than
nonheteronormative freedom. The only thing, we want you to
think of at the event, is that enjoy the parade as much as you can.
Have fun, make friends and be happy. When the parade is over,
check the corporations that were there. Watch them and criticize.
Use your voice so the pinkwashing will not go unnoticed. This is the
call for action because people have power. Stonewall gave us that,
so let’s not waste it.
The parade is a time to be free. People may express themselves
however they want. They can do it by singing, by being a drag king
or queen, and wear what they want. Particularly in homophobic
countries this is of paramount importance, as in everyday life
people will try to blend in to stay in the closet and avoid violence.
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