London Pride and the lost message of freedom

This weekend sees the largest UK Pride back on the streets of London, cruising down Oxford Street, blocking the way of confused Japanese tourists, desperate bargain shoppers and the theatre thrill seekers with an array of drag queens, muscled dancers and those who are trying to reignite the whistle industry in face of the vuvuzela.

Much to chagrin of Christian Voice, National Front and other groups set on revoking the rights of every man, woman and trans to appease their own self-styled vision, it will also be the 40th year of the Gay Liberation Front, which their publication of their manifesto set out their objectives, which included the following paragraph:


CAMPAIGN Before we can create the new society of the future, we have to defend our interests as gay people here and now against all forms of oppression and victimisation. We have therefore drawn up the following list of immediate demands.

• that all discrimination against gay people, male and female, by the law, by employers, and by society at large, should end.
• that all people who feel attracted to a member of their own sex be taught that such feeling are perfectly valid.
• that sex education in schools stop being exclusively heterosexual.
• that psychiatrists stop treating homosexuality as though it were a sickness, thereby giving gay people senseless guilt complexes.
• that gay people be as legally free to contact other gay people, though newspaper ads, on the streets and by any other means they may want as are heterosexuals, and that police harassment should cease right now.
• that employers should no longer be allowed to discriminate against anyone on account of their sexual preferences.
• that the age of consent for gay males be reduced to the same as for straight.
• that gay people be free to hold hands and kiss in public, as are heterosexuals. 

Looking back now forty years on, we can be proud that we have achieved nearly all of demands that the GLF wanted. The glaring exception is the final one, gay people still aren't able to hold hands and kiss in public anywhere in London even, outside the Soho area. Although this is not a legal issue, as some of the other demands are.

The stigma of LGBT couples and their public affection for each other is still apparent, after the attacks on individuals and couples within the last four years, many leading to tragic deaths. Whilst the legal ramifications of equality has moved LGBT's into the public eye and more often than not acceptance over the last ten years, there is still a huge doubt amongst LGBT couples about being openly proud of their love, due to harassment and attacks, both verbal and physical. Pride usually stands alone in this moment of being able to do so.

Yet the message of Pride was to draw attention of LGBT's, and that their love was no more unacceptable than that of heterosexuals. This march was in direct confrontation of the perceived norms of society, and lead , also alongside a great deal of behind the scenes work done, to the legal changes that assisted the movement of gay rights in the UK. So does achieving the legal requirements of the GLF forty years ago make Pride less of a protest now than a party.

There is a difference between those over thirty five and those below to the need to continue the work of campaigning, protest and continuing the message of freedom throughout the country. There are a number of those below this age, who do take a large interest in gay rights, not just in the UK, but throughout the world, many using new technology like Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites that allow others to share their knowledge, experiences and communicate protest quickly and effectively.  Yet there is a disarmingly large proportion of LGBT persons who aren't recognising the link between this perceived equality in law and the actual realisation on the ground which doesn't allow many to be free of victimisation and the removal of politics from Pride.

There is an expectation that due to the legal equality, that Pride has lost it's teeth and is seen more as a Mardi Gras party movement rather than a protest march, this cannot be the case. We must ensure that it keeps drawing attention to the LGBT issues of the day, and it is up to us to ensure that many young LGBT persons, especially those outside London can see Pride and recognise that there are others out there who are similar, so that they aren't alone and can be happy with who they are. That there are people who can and will fight for their rights, not just to get married, but more importantly can walk hand-in-hand down any street in the UK and be accepted.

Then we can be pleased at the achievements we have done, compared to those demands of the LGF all those years ago, and have Pride in ourselves.