The worldwide uprising against anti-Black violence began right at the start of Pride month, causing many LGBTQ+ organizations to rethink their Pride calendar. Organizers of the first-ever worldwide Pride event, Global Pride, say they plan to center Black Lives Matter at the event.
First announced in April, Global Pride was organized by Pride groups from all over the world after over 100 Pride celebrations were canceled in light of the coronavirus pandemic.
A long list of LGBTQ+ and ally celebrities have signed on to participate, including Laverne Cox, Kesha, Adam Lambert, Rita Ora, LeAnn Rimes, Todrick Hall, and more. More participants and partners are being announced throughout June.
Steve Taylor, one of the organizers of Global Pride, says the choice to center Black Lives Matter only makes sense, given the overlapping histories of both the LGBTQ+ and Black communities.
“The Pride and Black Lives Matter movements share histories of being founded by LGBTI people of color, and of being founded to fight systemic, cultural and institutional intolerance and discrimination,” Taylor told Forbes. “It’s only right that we use Global Pride to raise the voice of people of color from within our community, and so many Prides have already provided content that really shouts the Black Lives Matter message loud and clear.”
Natalie Thompson, co-chair of the organizing committee and a Black LGBTQ+ woman, added that she feels it’s imperative to confront “the systematic racism and violence facing my Black brothers, sisters and non-binary siblings, in the larger culture and within the LGBQIA+ community.”
“I could not think of a larger platform than Global Pride to do this,” she added. “We have been watching an epidemic of violence against trans people of color – mostly women – in the past decade and this larger discussion must be inclusive and all encompassing. All Black Lives Matter.”
Over 1,500 local Prides have been invited to the virtual event. It will be livestreamed on the Global Pride website for free on Saturday, June 27, 2020.
