Pride 2019 - Love is Love
London Pride has come and gone and as brilliant as it was I am left reflecting over it all and what it stands for, I am still baffled that people are asking for straight pride, and in the past year or two I have been trying to put myself in the mind frame of what it must be like to fall into a category and brand just because you are being yourself.
I love Pride and everything that it stands for but for me I still get that little bit teary at the fact that it is so desperately needed. I know people minds are starting to broaden and are accepting people for who they are but taking into account the stories in the headlines over the past year alone sometimes it feels like we are taking one step forward and two steps back.
People are still being judged, attacked, abused, and killed for just being who they are – not just in countries where gay rights aren’t legalized yet but in the countries that are claiming to have a gay rights movement, but giving how things have been lately it has made me question this because yes there are gay rights but does the LGBT community actually feel protected and safe by these rights? Are we doing enough to make sure that LGBT community is in fact “our” community?, and that they are treated exactly like the people who are not stamped with a label? If you really think about it and really dissect what this question is asking, then unfortunately you’ll find that the answer is no. Yes, the LGBT community has allies in society but there is not a lot of people who will actually stand and fight when a moment comes where someone is being or is feeling threatened.
I spoke to a few bloggers and public figures recently who are members of the LGBT community and one who is a well-known non binary model who all spoke freely of how they were a little saddened by the ‘brand’, what the Rainbow flag has become, and how huge clothing lines are using the brand to make money but make no donation or contribution of support. I don’t want to name bash but A LOT of the companies we all shop in are donating as little as 3% from their pride collection sales which I find to be nothing short of disgusting. This year my costume did not arrive in time for London Pride and I had plenty of time to go and buy something in shops nearby but after some research I discovered that the most any of those shops were donating from their sales was 20%, and for me personally that just isn’t enough and I could not bring myself to make a purchase (even though I was panicking and had nothing to wear). So on Saturday I made sure that I used my Rainbow makeup palette from Urban Decay that donates 100% of its profit to an LGBT charity and just improvised with what I already owned.
I am not saying that anyone who purchased from these clothing lines are wrong because that is not the case because anyone who wears the LGBT flag and colours is a hero and you are making such a difference in society – and you should continue to wear your chosen LGBT flag with pride. My issue is solely in the cooperation’s exploiting the use of the flag for their own benefit. Yes, every donation is helpful but come on you can afford to give more then 3-20 percent!!!!!!! Anyway, I am rambling now because it’s a topic I get a little heated over but aside from the blood sucking money makers, stepping out of Oxford circus tube station on Saturday and been met with a sea of rainbow colours and celebration on the streets was incredible.
I spent the day with friends and I had such a fun time dancing in the street, passing and sipping multiple bottles of prosecco amongst us, and screaming at any parade participant who would look at us. The day is filled with so much love and respect that you can actually feel it in the air amongst the crowds so much so it makes me wish that every day was like that and every day you could feel a mutual respect and love by just standing somewhere. There is a feeling of freedom and individuality when you attend Pride events and you can’t help but be filled with joy but this feeling and atmosphere needs to be consistent because once Pride month is over we are straight back to the soul destroying headlines and the feeling of questionable equality. It is up to all of us today to stand up for and stand by each member of the LGBT community and for anyone who is considered different because referring back to what I said earlier that I have been trying to make myself understand what it must be like to fall under the category of LGBT and this is as close as I could get – When I’m sitting at home watching TV and all curled up on the couch with my other half, and I’m not even thinking about what I am doing because it feels so normal to me to do that well imagine if you were doing that too and it feels normal but there are millions of people out there against what you am doing and wanting to hurt you because you are simply sitting at home with the person you love! Can you imagine what that must feel like? Because if we can imagine that and try to understand what that would feel like then that’s when we can only begin to see the importance of Pride and why it is so desperately needed today.
There is nothing greater or more powerful then Love and the world needs it in every way, shape, and form so allow it to happen, and allow it to be, whether it’s a love between Partners, Family, Friends, or even Pets then allow it because at the end of the day we all need it, and despite the rallies against it and actions that question it – Love is Love and it will always prevail!