8 reasons why Pride matters
1) Full legal representation is still a way off
Despite all the advances on marriage, employment, and rights over the last decade, full legal rights for LGBTQI+ people is still lacking. Non-binary folk have little to no legal protection, and their gender identities are recognised in a handful of countries globally. Trans folk of all stripes have face a barrage of media and political attacks that have either walked back or threatened to walk back hard won rights. LGBTQI+ folk face hurdles in the adoption process, as many countries still assume that parents should be straight and cis. Drug testing is primarily carried out male cis bodies, leaving a lack of medical knowledge for trans and women patients, and while regulations are catching up for women, for trans folk there is little to know peer reviewed data.
2) Globally, hate crimes against LGBTQI+ are on the rise
In the UK there has been a significant rise in hate crimes against queer people, with the government doing little to nothing to intervene at the national level. In the US, trans women of colour are murdered at almost epidemic levels, and while some states do prosecute and have implemented laws removing trans panic defences, a significant number of states still allow trans panic defences. Russia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and other repressive countries have not rescinded or walked back their anti-LGBTQI+ laws, and state sponsored hate including executions and beatings happen daily.
3) The war on trans kids is still a thing
Over the last decade media and political attacks on the bodily autonomy of trans kids and teenagers has been more pressing. Gender is weaponised in many countries to restrict and deny children the freedom to express themselves, and charities and individuals who support trans children are demonised as child abusers. This causes long term suffering and emotional trauma to these kids, often leaving them with life-long mental scars.
4) Queer people of colour (QTPOC) are still marginalised
This is a critical issue that is even more pressing in a time of BLM. Their voices rose up in anger throughout 2020, yet very few QTPOC thought leaders and political leaders have been given air time and space within mainstream queer channels. Yes, a lot of the work QTPOC activists do is underground, but by not giving way and allowing them to lead on the conversations we are failing to address their grievances. This is a critical systemic issue, as the first Stonewall riot was instigated and led by QTPOC who stood up to police brutality. Without their voices leading from the front any institutional changes the queer community makes will fall short and fail to address the needs of these marginalised communities.
5) Non-binary erasure
Despite high profile non-binary comings out, there has been a definitive lack of engagement with non-binary identities within national conversations. Even within the LGBTQI+ community non-binary folk are either lumped in with the trans community as a whole or assumed to be going through a phase because it is trendy. Enbies have their own set of needs and issues that cannot be addressed simply by seeing them through a traditional queer lens. Their rights are only now beginning to be discussed outside of the enbie community, and this is one emerging area that needs all our rainbow support to fight for their rights.
6) The chronic underfunding and delays in trans medical provision
This is a particular issue in the UK, and given Covid-19 many other countries will probably have backlogs and delays to their trans health provisions. Within the UK this issue has built up over the last decade because a system that was designed to cope with a small number of patients has not been organically expanded to cope with the wider acceptance and coming out of trans folk. It ties in with issues surrounding trans kids, and the hostility towards trans healthcare is a fundamental issue that needs to be tackled by the queer community for the betterment of us all.
7) Bi-erasure and general lack of bi positivity within the rainbow community
This is an ongoing issue that, while relatively simple on the surface, has been a point of contention for many lesbian and gay folk who often see bisexual people as indecisive and need to make up their mind about whether they fully commit to same sex relationships or go back to being straight. There are issues outside of the community within the wider mainstream media, but bi-erasure and bi-phobia are intrinsic issues that have still not been resolved despite decades of pushing by bi folk for better representation. Bisexuals have always been part or close to the LGBTQI+ liberation movements, and there needs to be a wider appreciation and understanding of their presence within the rainbow community.
8) General lack of political representation
Out politicians in all countries usually make headlines, and there have been numerous queer heads of state globally. However, while lobbying and mainstream media representation have helped steer LGBTQI+ rights in a positive direction, the lack of queer political representation in many countries leaves queer people without a champion within the democratic process. Yes, tokenism is always bad, but having politicians who can empathise and fight to get queer equality at the centre of the legislative process is always a boon for the cause.
Ultimately, Pride matters because it is more than simply rainbow flags and parades. The first Pride was a riot, a fight back against oppression, and while Covid-19 may have stripped us with the ability to get out on the streets, we still have the opportunity as a community to tackle the issues listed here and many more. This list is not exhaustive, and I am sure you will have your own reasons for believing Pride matters. Pride is about you finding your voice and using it to build a better world with equity and equality at its centre. Your voice really does matter, and by finding and using it you can channel that original anarchic Pride spirit to affect change.
