This year has taught me that the origins of a Gay Liberation Movement have been lost and need to be reinforced. This year has taught me that my queerness isn’t just about ‘love is love’, it’s political.
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This year has taught me that so many people were unaware that I have lived a life full of micro-aggressions, misogynoir and gaslighting due to the colour of my skin. This year has taught me that not everyone has lived their lives knowing that racism still exists. This year has taught me that solidarity used solely as a buzzword is detrimental, and requires action first and foremost. This year has taught me that I’ve always felt too much of one thing and not enough of another, but being a part of the LGBTQ+ community is the best community I could hope to be accepted into. This year has taught me that we shouldn’t be aiming to change the system, rather to dismantle it, because it was never built for us in the first place.
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This year has taught me that existing in a Black body is radical and punk AF. Quarantine has given me the chance to finally start counselling sessions, and with that delve deeper into who I am and who I’m becoming – the unapologetic queer Black woman of your dreams. “What if 2020 isn’t cancelled? What if 2020 is the year we’ve been waiting for?” – Leslie Dwight. It was really important it was for us to represent all of these communities and I hope it inspires others to be proud of who they are.”įor this week’s Amplify digital cover feature we are spotlighting six individuals who contributed to the Anthems Pride series, asking them what Pride has meant to them during this unique period of time. “We have an exceptional selection of voices from exclusively LGBTQI+ communities contributing to this series, their words are raw, honest, inspiring, moving, motivating- there truly is something for everyone and it’s a real privilege to be able to bring them to our listeners and celebrate the words and experiences of some truly brilliant people. “I saw how much of an impact Anthems Women and Anthems Home had on people, how much comfort and courage listeners were finding in the words of others and really wanted to bring that to Pride, especially as Pride celebration events have been cancelled. “We need community now, more than ever – words that bind us, not divide us,” said Anthems Pride executive producer, Hana Walker-Brown. It features contributions from the likes of UK Black Pride co-founder Lady Phyll, co-founder of Black Out UK and PrEPster Marc Thompson, trans model and activist Kenny Ethan Jones, writer and activist Jamie Windust, poet and performer Travis Alabanza and many more. These mini podcast episodes took the form of original manifestos, speeches, stories, poems and rallying cries spoken by exceptional individuals, keeping us connected as a community during this period of self isolation and social distancing. Black Trans Lives Matter protests in London and New York City reinforced that All Black Lives Matter, once again reminding the community that we would not enjoy the hard-won freedoms we enjoy today without the Black trans women at the forefront of the rebellion more than 50 years ago.Įach day throughout June, Anthems Pride celebrated and platformed diverse voices in our community who are making history today.
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This year Pride Month coincided with a powerful resurgence in Black Lives Matter protests across the world following the death of George Floyd at the hands of a white policeman, galvanising calls to dismantle white supremacy, eradicate systemic and structural racism, and remind everyone that it simply isn’t enough to not be racist, you have to be anti-racist. However, what this moment did afford the Pride movement was an opportunity to reclaim its roots as a force for social change. With the world in lockdown, queer people were unable to celebrate with each other in physical space like we have done in recent years.
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This year’s Pride Month was unlike any the LGBTQ+ community has experienced before.