Pride! Pride! Pride! How much do you really know about the LGBTQIA+ rights march?
Pride is a rainbow-coloured parade and party for all.
Since turquoise is in the rainbow too, we’re celebrating Everybody’s Rights once again with this new article dedicated to stories, anecdotes and fun facts linked to Pride.
5 things you didn’t know about Pride
- Where does the name ‘Pride’ come from? The term ‘Pride’ was coined by Brenda Howard, an activist and pacifist from the Bronx, New York. Often called the ‘Mother of Pride’, Brenda contributed to organising the Christopher Street Liberation Day March, which then evolved into the annual LGBTQIA+ celebrations that take place around the world each June.
- World’s largest Pride parade. The biggest Pride parade in the world takes place in Sao Paolo, Brazil. Its first edition in 1997 saw just 2000 participants, but in 2006 the Guinness World Records named it the largest Pride parade in the world, with 2.5 million participants.
- The revolutionary model, Marsha P. Johnson. A model for Andy Warhol and a transgender activist, Marsha P. Johnson was one of the most important figures in the 1969 Stonewall riots. She was the co-founder of Street Transvestite Activist Revolutionaries (STAR) and she committed to assisting young transgender and non-binary people facing difficulties. When asked what the P. in her name stood for, she would answer ‘Pay it no mind’.
- The dancing cop. During a Pride parade in New York in 2015, a police officer working at the demonstration decided to dance with some participants. The video of the dance went viral on social media and the cop was praised for his open-mindedness and his involvement in the celebration of love and equality.
- Hallelujah! During Pride in San Francisco in 1997, the Canadian singer k.d. lang was parading with other celebrities when the float stopped all of a sudden. While they were waiting to start again, k.d. lang improvised an a cappella concert, singing Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen. The crowd was left enchanted by her spontaneous performance and, when the float finally started again, k.d. lang kept on singing, creating a legendary moment in the history of San Francisco Pride.
Why do we talk about Pride?
Pride is a moment for celebration, reflection and support for the LGBTQIA+ community, on a long journey towards the legitimate achievement of civil rights. A source of pride for us all, wouldn’t you say?
