Peter Tatchell On LGBTQ Pride Celebrations And Its Impact

Pride Month saw a mass of celebrations across the globe. The movement has expanded over the last few decades, from events in only a handful of cities to existing in over 160 countries. One of its proudest and committed supporters is the Peter Tatchell Foundation, a foundation who’s goal is to protect the human rights of individuals and nations in the international community.
Peter Tatchell, Director of the Peter Tatchell Foundation, wrote a piece for The Guardian, saying “Today, the LGBT+ movement is the most unifying, ubiquitous and universal worldwide movement of all time.”
“More evidence of success is the fact that our rainbow flag is now the most universal flag in the world,” he continued. “Flown in every country, often briefly or secretly in repressive states, no other flag has such international reach and appeal. Unlike national flags, it is cherished by LGBT+ people – and straight allies – in every nation. It is the symbol of our common LGBT+ humanity.”
While Pride Month was a celebration of the strides the LGBTQ community has taken towards equality, Tatchell wants to remind the community at large about the strides that have been taken and the miles still left to go to achieve equality in the LGBTQ community.
“In many parts of the world, there is still severe persecution to be overcome. Nevertheless, it is still an extraordinary accomplishment that more than 2,000 years of homophobic, biphobic and transphobic persecution has been significantly rolled back in many countries in less than half a century,” Tatchell wrote. “All this progress is the result of daring, inventive and unrelenting campaigning – against all odds – by national and international LGBT+ movements.”
To read more of Peter Tatchell’s piece on LGBTQ pride, head to theguardian.com.  To find out more about Peter Tatchell’s foundation and more information on donating, visit petertatchellfoundation.org.
> Charlotte Amoa