After two years of pride in the pandemic, the London Pride parade is back this year! I am all set to attend on 2 July and I just found out that LSE Spectrum, the staff LGBTQ+ network, is also marching in the parade this year.
2022 marks fifty years since the first London Pride parade which makes this year even more special. While the Pride parade is a celebration of self-expression, the march is also intended to make strong statements by “calling on the UK government to ban conversion therapy for all LGBT+ people”, reform Gender Recognition”, provide equal protection for LGBT+ communities against hate crime, by making homophobic, biphobic or transphobic hate crime an aggravated crime in line with racial and religious hate crimes, establish a national Aids memorial that truly honours and remembers those who we have lost and the impact of HIV and AIDS, and to take a leading role in tackling the violence and discrimination against LGBT+ people around the globe. There is still time to be a part of the parade as a volunteer and there are multiple roles available.
While the Pride parade marks a grand end to Pride Month, London has been abuzz with Pride themed celebrations since the beginning of June. For starters, LSE Spectrum held a T-shirt designing contest earlier this month and gave us a chance to put on our creative caps. Speaking of creativity, the British Film Institute in Southbank is showing Judy Garland: A Star is Reborn throughout the month of June to celebrate the LGBTQ+ icon on the centenary of her birth. There is a list of Pride themed events taking place all month-long leading up to the parade over here and I highly recommend you check it out to find some exciting activities taking place in London.
On the other hand, since exams are over and we all have plenty of free time on our hands, this month is the perfect time to brush up on your LGBTQ+ history. Whether you are a part of the community and want to know more about its past or an ally trying to learn and do better, the Hall-Carpenter Archives at the LSE Library have you covered! In fact, did you know that the first meeting of the UK Gay Liberation FRONT (GLF) actually took place in an LSE classroom, organised by an LSE student named Bob Mellors. The UK GLF recently celebrated their 50th anniversary in an online event which was attended by many members of the LSE community. Browse the archive to get access to some of the most interesting LGBT journals, newspapers, and magazines that have come up over the years.
London has been hosting a month-long party with Pride Month coinciding with Jubilee celebrations. If it is not a Union Jack at every corner, you are surely going to find the Pride flag. However, it is important to remember that we must not stop celebrating and supporting the LGBTQ+ community after Pride Month is over. London is a bustling LGBTQ+ social and intellectual hub and if you consider yourself an ally, make sure you use this month to get introduced to it.
