We have marked the beginning of Pride month. It is sometimes easy to get caught up in the fabulous rainbows and the celebratory nature of Pride events that sweep Australia and the globe, as we take amazing steps forward in the push for equality for all LGBTI+ people.
This year, we recognise Pride month against the backdrop of the Black Lives Matter movement that is sweeping the globe, as we see People of Colour and their allies stand up to seek justice for George Floyd, the latest black man mercilessly murdered at the hands of a Minneapolis Police Officer.
To many of you, our rainbow flags and sparkly celebrations may seem worlds apart from what is happening in the USA and the rest of the world right now.
What we are seeing with the BLM movement, is a minority group who have had enough of systematic discrimination; discrimination that has been allowed to be wielded by the police in the form of harassment, brutality and murder.
Did you know that the Pride movement as we know it was born out of this same frustration?
The famous Stonewall riots began as protests against police brutality against the LGBTI+ community in New York in 1969 and swiftly moved into a 6 day stand off between police and protesters, many of whom were LGBTI+ people of colour who were fighting for their right to exist safely and freely.
It may be hard to understand riots and looting, but history had shown us that there is only so much peaceful protesting you can do while being ignored – only so many bodies that can be battered, and lives taken before a community of people have to find their strength to show the world that enough is enough. Riots can be a catalyst for change, and we are seeing this wave of change beginning to ripple through the world.
Here at Pride Cup, we recognise that the road to equality and recognition is not a smooth one, and we stand with all people protesting for justice and for the BLM movement. We are committed to taking the steps we need to, to ensure that the work we do amplifies all voices in the LGBTI+ community. That we work in the Indigenous and Multicultural spaces where sport meets the LGBTI+ community, because we truly believe the BLM cause needs to be elevated in all sectors.
So it is against this backdrop that we celebrate Pride month. We celebrate who we are and the progress we have made so far, thanks to those elders in the community who came before us, and put their bodies on the line to fight for LGBTI+ rights.
We acknowledge that we work on the lands of the Wurundjeri people who have been custodians of this land for thousands of years, and acknowledge and pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.
For more information on the above, check out:
https://www.history.com/topics/gay-rights/the-stonewall-riots
