SOLIDARITY
Pride Radar Global trends within the Pride movement By
Frank van Dalen
Pride events – whether they take the form of celebrations, protests, or marches – are intended to raise the visibility of LGBTI people as an oppressed minority. Pride Radar, InterPride’s inventory of almost 800 Prides, is the proof of how vibrant the Pride movement is on a global scale. Each event, wherever it is held, is a profound political statement. Where the LGBTI equality movement has enjoyed substantial success, the Pride movement is strong as well. At the same time, we see blank spots on the world map where Prides are absent or presently unknown to us. With social climates of exclusion and laws that criminalize homosexuality, it is an act of bravery to organize a Pride event in many areas of Africa, parts of Asia, Russia, and the Middle East. These regions constitute the frontier of the worldwide Pride movement.
In recent years, Pride United located Prides around the world and identified the underlying mechanisms that propel the Pride movement. As we did this work, one mechanism became clear to us: the existence of a Pride, its format, and the role it plays in society are strongly related to the local political, social, and legal situation for LGBTI persons. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, many countries in Eastern Europe joined the European Union, adopting LGBTI rights as a fundamental European value. Despite the adoption of pro-equality laws, organizing a Pride event remained an uphill battle in many countries in Eastern Europe. In 2010, Belgrade Pride was met with severe violence; it was only last year that the Pride event finally took place without incident, albeit thanks to a heavy presence of thousands of combat
Credit: Pride United/InterPride.
70 | Boston Pride 2016
