Latest news with #StonewallRiots
The Citizen
a day ago
- Politics
- The Citizen
Budapest mayor defies police ban on Pride march
Hungarian police banned the Pride march citing anti-LGBTQ laws, but Budapest's mayor vowed the event will proceed as a city-organised protest. (FILES) People take part in the LGBTIQA+ Pride Parade in Budapest on July 23, 2022, in memory of the Stonewall Riots, the first big uprising of homosexuals against police assaults in New York City on June 27, 1969. Hungary police said on June 19, 2025 that they have banned the country's main Pride march from taking place in Budapest on June 28, 2025. (Photo by Ferenc ISZA / AFP) Hungarian police on Thursday banned the country's main Pride march from taking place in Budapest on June 28 but the capital's mayor defied them, vowing it would still go ahead. Since Prime Minister Viktor Orban returned to power in 2010, Hungary has passed a series of laws which have been criticised at home and across the European Union for curtailing the rights of the country's sexual and gender minorities in the name of 'child protection'. 'The police, acting within their authority over public assemblies, prohibit the holding of the assembly at the aforementioned location and time,' the police said on their website. Police said the ban was necessary under recent legislation that bans the promotion of same-sex relationships to under-18s. They said any appeal against the decision must be lodged with the central European country's supreme court within three days. Budapest's liberal Mayor Gergely Karacsony vowed to hold the gathering despite the ban. He said the police decision had 'no value' because the march did not require official authorisation anyway, as it was an event organised by the city council. ALSO READ: Centre for Contemporary Islam calls out Muslims for hate speech over gay imam Hendricks 'Budapest city hall will organise the Budapest Pride march on June 28 as a city event. Period,' he wrote on Facebook. On Monday he had announced that Budapest city hall would organise the march in an attempt to sidestep the recently adopted law. In mid-March, the Hungarian parliament passed a bill aimed at banning any gathering that violates an anti-LGBTQ law adopted in 2021. The 2021 law prohibits the 'display or promotion of homosexuality' to under-18s. Pro-LGBTQ protests In its decision published on Thursday, police said that the march 'by its very nature cannot be held without the representation' of people belonging to the LGBTQ community and that under-18s could be present along the route. 'If it cannot be stated with absolute certainty that the display is not taking place in the presence of persons under 18 years of age, the assembly would be in breach of the ban,' the police said. Hungarian lawmakers in April overwhelmingly backed constitutional changes that strengthened the legal foundations for banning the Pride march. ALSO READ: Free State man sentenced to 15 years for raping lesbian neighbour The government said the annual event could be held at an enclosed location like a stadium, out of sight of children. The conflict over the Pride march has already sparked protests in Hungary. Thousands of people blocked bridges in the capital, demanding the ban be repealed. Several members of the European Parliament have said they will attend the parade. European equalities commissioner Hadja Lahbib is also due to attend the march, as are ministers from several European Union countries, the organisers said. Attendees risk a fine of up to 500 euros ($570), which the Hungarian authorities say will be channelled into 'child protection' projects. Police may use facial recognition technology to identify them. NOW READ: Nearly 2 000 LGBTQ couples wed as Thai same-sex marriage law comes into force – By: © Agence France-Presse
Time Magazine
a day ago
- Politics
- Time Magazine
Marsha P. Johnson Taught Us How To Defy This Anti-Trans Wave
It's Pride Month again. But unlike recent years, when corporations flooded us with rainbow merchandise and vague nods to the Stonewall Riots, this year feels markedly different. The signs of authoritarianism are everywhere— anti-trans executive actions and legislation, Democrats scapegoating the trans community for its political failures, and corporate backpedaling on LGBTQ+ support. On his first day in office, President Donald Trump issued an executive order declaring, among other things, that trans people do not exist. The next day, he signed an order calling for the country to restore 'merit-based opportunity'—a euphemism for straight, white, cisgender supremacy. And on Wednesday, the Supreme Court upheld a Tennessee state law that bans gender-affirming care for minors, greenlighting bans in up to 27 states. And yet, despite it all, my mandate for Pride remains unchanged. And despite Trump's attempts to erase trans people, I know he cannot because I know my community's history. I look to the lessons of our elders and trancestors—those trans ancestors whose lives continue to guide us. For me, 2025 marks the Summer of Marsha P. Johnson. This Aug. 24 would have been her 80th birthday. In the decades since her death, the lessons of her life have only become more resonant. That's why it felt necessary to center the second season of Afterlives, my podcast honoring the lives and legacies of trans folks our community lost too soon, on this movement titan. In a time of major erasure of our stories, we want to archive them. Marsha's legend lives in many hearts today. It's sprinkled throughout speeches and social media posts, it's been the subject of a posthumous TIME cover, and even inspired the dedication of a Brooklyn Park in her honor. Recently, decorated artist and activist Tourmaline released Marsha's first definitive biography, The Joy and Defiance of Marsha P. Johnson. I was able to interview the best-selling author extensively for Afterlives, where we bonded over new Marshaisms gleaned from video archives like, 'Get your heart ready for heart failure.' Connecting with Marsha through grainy video clips stripped from interviews and the extensive collection of home videos created by her once-roommate, and also noted activist Randy Wicker, I was able to learn more about her. There is something so soothing and encouraging about the old-school campy lilt to her voice. Listening to her is like being caressed by a long-lost auntie. The warmth I feel for Marsha only deepened when I got the chance to visit her sister, Jeannie, and her nephew, Al. Both of them still live in Marsha's hometown of Elizabeth, New Jersey. They graciously welcomed my production team and me around their kitchen table. As the bright, late winter light shone through the window, they regaled us with tales of Marsha before she was an icon. The Elizabeth of the 1950s certainly was no bastion of queerness. However, Marsha became known for her exuberant personality and penchant for off-beat performance. According to her family, Masha was the most off-key singer in the children's Christmas chorus when she was growing up. But somehow, her charm always won over audiences. And whenever she opened her mouth, she would help raise the most money for the chorus. A tinge of jealousy ran through me when Al talked about being babysat not just by Marsha, but also the legendary Sylvia Rivera as a child. I returned to a lifelong question I have for myself: What if I could have known myself or people like who I'd become sooner? I grew up starved for images of trans possibility. My first glimpses of Marsha came through early Wikipedia pages and, later, through Tumblr posts, scattered pieces of a lineage I was never meant to find. Both Al and Jeannie wanted to set the record straight about Marsha's relationship with her family. While it's true she had many difficulties in life and was often misunderstood, she regularly returned home to visit her mother and them. And while her mother didn't always understand her identity, they still deeply loved each other. That love shone through Jeannie as well. Before we left, she gifted me the most scrumptious slice of Key Lime cake. I salivate every time I think of it. While Marsha kept her family close, she also built a sprawling community and found pockets of joy as she got older. From Times Square, to the Village, and later back to Jersey, Marsha picked up chosen family along the way. She mentored younger people, including a young Sylvia Rivera, and showed them how to survive homelessness and poverty. For so-called 'street queens' like them, sex work was a common source of survival. But Marsha believed that collectives were stronger than any individuals and that standing in solidarity with one another could improve the safety of their community. In time, that ethos led to the formation of Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries or STAR, a group that helped often abandoned youth find shelter. They'd pool resources for sustenance. Marsha often struggled with housing herself. But she never turned away from performance. She'd perform on the streets and on stage, traveling as far as London, to make a splash. Often, she'd wear costumes made from materials she found while dumpster diving. Her aesthetics and tuneless vocals left audiences in awe and laughter. At a time when trans people are told we're asking for too much, and that we should disappear, Marsha's life reminds us we can make art out of scarcity—and joy out of resistance. Most people know Marsha's name through the Stonewall Riots of 1969, the militant uprising against harassment from the New York Police Department. These violent riots became a catalyst for the modern LGBTQ+ movement. In Tourmaline's book, one account recalls Marsha smashing a shot glass into a mirror and yelling, 'I got my civil rights!' This is a message of radical defiance we need now. As trans rights come under attack, the message from politicians is clear: they want us forgotten, just like in Marsha's time. But we must remember that trans people built movements. That we organized, fought, and cared for each other. It's these lessons from Marsha and history, lessons of full, nuanced trans lives that the fascists don't want you to know about. Our voices and our stories can serve as an antidote to fascism and authoritarianism. Some of Marsha's friends have said that the person she truly was—the poor, unhoused, sex-working artist—would be unrecognizable today beneath the polished iconography. We've turned her into a symbol. But what we lose in that transformation is the story of how she lived. Marsha teaches us that performance can be a form of protest. That caring for others is political. That imagination can be more valuable than wealth. That defiance doesn't require perfection—only courage. She reminds us that collectives are stronger than individuals. That joy can coexist with rage. That survival is a legacy. Marsha lives on not because we mythologized her, but because she modeled what's possible when you decide to be your most authentic self, every single day. She wasn't a pillar of perfection. She didn't have much to her name. But she lived, loved, and fought until her name and her power became undeniable. As we face a new wave of anti-trans hate, let's do the same.
USA Today
5 days ago
- General
- USA Today
When is Pride Month 2025? Here's why we celebrate and LGBTQ+ events in Delaware
When is Pride Month 2025? Here's why we celebrate and LGBTQ+ events in Delaware Show Caption Hide Caption 'Find joy': Trans Delawareans share their stories in Pride Month 2025 Despite challenging political times for many, transgender Delawareans shared snapshots of their stories and living as true selves in Pride Month 2025. June marks the 56th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots and the 26th anniversary of the first Pride Month. LGBTQ+ Pride Month, also known simply as Pride Month, is observed each June, marking a celebration of queer culture through both celebration and protest. Countless communities host Pride marches, demonstrations and parties to honor queer joy, but Pride Month's roots are tied to a darker time. However, despite a long track record of supporting the nation's lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer population, corporations are shrinking budgets and downplaying Pride marketing as President Donald Trump's administration cracks down on diversity, equity and inclusion programs and transgender rights emerges as a culture-war flashpoint. Here's what you need to know about Pride Month 2025: When is Pride Month? Pride month is celebrated in June. What is Pride Month? According to Pride Month is the celebration of the contributions made by the LGBTQ+ community to society and cultures around the world. The month also highlights the fight for civil rights and the pursuit of equality. It's celebrated in June to commemorate the Stonewall Riots of June 1969. What were the Stonewall Riots? The riots occurred on June 28, 1969, when New York police raided the Stonewall Inn in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan. Several people fought back and the confrontation grew into six days of protests. One year later, the first Gay Pride Parade occurred. According to 3,000 to 5,000 people attended. Parades also took place in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Chicago. When did Pride Month begin? On June 11, 1999, President Bill Clinton, after the National Park Service added the Stonewall Inn to the National Register of Historic Places. designated June of 1999 as Gay and Lesbian Pride Month. He did the same in 2000. In 2009, President Barack Obama made the month more inclusive by expanding it to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Pride Month. Obama also created the Stonewall National Monument in 2016. Pride Month parade and other celebrations in Delaware Here are some of the events happening in Delaware to celebrate Pride Month. For all the Pride Month events scheduled in the First State, check here. Rehoboth Beach Pride From July 16-20, Rehoboth will host its Pride celebration. The annual festival will be held July 19 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Rehoboth Beach Convention Center. The events will be free and open to all who want to celebrate or learn more about Pride celebrations. LGBTQ+ resources, health screening, craft vendors, performances and more will be available. The Convention Center will also host the Women's Comedy and Music Event, made up of comedians Karen Williams and Jill Sobule as well as music by musician Erin McKeown. Doors will open July 19 at 5 p.m. and the performance lineup begins at 5:30 p.m. Delaware Pride Festival 2025 The 28th annual Delaware Pride Festival on June 7 will be the biggest ever, running from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. across The Green (43 The Green, Dover). Each year it draws thousands of LGBTQ+ people and their families, along with allies, for a day of fun with live musical performances, shopping and plenty of food with a beer garden. All ages are welcome. Delaware Pride Pre-Party, Dover Dover's Rail Haus (92 N. West St.) will host "high-energy, feel-good" pre-party for the Delaware Pride Festival at 5 p.m. on June 6. Delaware Pride After Dark, Wilmington If you're looking for adults-only Pride fun, the official afterparty, Delaware Pride After Dark, is the place to be at Theatre N (221 W. 10th St., Wilmington) on June 7. Like the Pride festival, Scarlet Masters will host and the headliners will be "The Boulet Brothers' Dragula" contestants Maddelynn Hatter and Louisiana Purchase. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and the 21-and-older show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $30 in advance at Day-of tickets are $35 on-site. VIP meet-and-greet tickets are also available for $45 with early entry at 7 p.m. Pride at the Loft An all-Black queer lineup is slated for Pride at the Loft at 7:30 p.m. on June 7, taking over the monthly listening room music series at The Loft (701 N. Shipley St., Wilmington) organized by Wilmington soul singer Darnell Miller. The $10 live music show will be hosted by "Queue Points" podcast co-host Jay Ray and feature performances by Pennsylvania-based R&B/soul singer Janay Keys and Philadelphia rapper Big Grizz. Passcode 101# gains entry to the show, which is open to all. Pride Drag Brunch & Afterparty It may be the morning after the Delaware Pride Festival, but the celebration doesn't have to end. Docklands Riverfront (110 West St., Wilmington), which regularly hosts drag performances, will welcome the Pride Drag Brunch & Afterparty for an eight-hour bash with doors opening at noon on June 8. It starts with brunch from 1 to 3 p.m., DJ Shadylady playing on the patio from 3 to 6 p.m. before finishing with a drag show from 6 to 8 p.m. featuring Elektra Ryan, Onyx Black, Zephyra Rivers and Stefani Steel. It costs $25 per person for just brunch, $20 for just the DJ set and drag show or $40 for an all-day pass including it all. Tickets can be purchased at What does Pride stand for? 'Pride' itself does not stand for anything, but the LGBTQ+ community comprises several identities related to sexual orientation and gender identity. Here are the definitions to know: L: Lesbian G: Gay B: Bisexual T: Transgender Q: Queer, or sometimes questioning +: Encompasses other identities under the rainbow umbrella Pride flag There are several flags associated with the LGBTQ+ community. Here's a description of each from the nonprofit Human Rights Campaign: Umbrella flags Gilbert Baker Pride Flag The original Pride Flag was created in 1978 after activist Harvey Milk asked artist Gilbert Baker to design a symbol of gay pride. Each color represents a different aspect of the LGBTQ+ community: hot pink represents sex, red symbolizes life, orange stands for healing, yellow represents sunlight, green represents nature, turquoise symbolizes magic and art, indigo represents serenity, while violet symbolizes the spirit of LGBTQ+ people. Traditional Pride Flag After the assassination of Harvey Milk, the rainbow flag was in high demand. Due to manufacturing issues, the hot pink stripe was removed. The turquoise stripe was removed from the flag as a design choice from Baker. The six-color pride flag has represented the community for over 40 years and is still one of the most common LGBTQ+ flags. Philadelphia Pride Flag The Philadelphia Pride Flag was unveiled at the city's pride event in 2017. The Philadelphia City Council commissioned the creation of this flag as they wanted to incorporate queer communities of color that have often been overlooked in the mainstream LGBTQ+ movement. The addition of the black and brown stripes symbolize communities of color and their contribution to the movement. Progress Pride Flag The Progress Pride Flag evolved from the Philadelphia Pride Flag and was created by Daniel Quaser. Quasar added a white, pink, and light blue stripe to represent the Trans community. While the black and brown stripes still represented communities of color, the black stripe is also a nod the thousands of individuals that the community lost during the HIV/AIDS crisis in 1980s and 1990s. Since its creation, the flag has become very popular. Intersex-Inclusive Progress Pride Flag The Intersex-Inclusive Progress Pride Flag adds the intersex community to the Progress Pride Flag. With this update coming in 2021, this serves as the most up-to-date LGBTQ+ flag. The flag was created by Valentino Vecchietti of Intersex Equality Rights UK. Queer Pride Flag While this flag is not as well known, this is the Queer Pride Flag. Created in 2015, the flag represents all aspects of queerness as the label 'queer' has become more celebrated. The pink and blue shades represented same-gender attraction while the orange and green stripes stand for non-binary and gender non-confirming individuals. The black and white stripes symbolize asexual, aromantic, and the agender community. Sexual orientation flags Lesbian Pride Flag While there have been many iterations of the Lesbian Pride Flag, this has been in use since 2018. Since then, it has been widely accepted. The different shades of red, pink, and orange represent the different types of femininity in the lesbian community. Trans-Inclusive Gay Men's Pride Flag This is the second version of the Gay Men's Pride Flag. The original only had green, blue and white. This version has different shades of green and blue to include non-cisgender gay men. Bisexual Pride Flag The Bisexual Flag was created in 1998 by Michael Page to bring awareness o the bisexual community. The pink represents bisexual's attraction to the same gender while the blue represents the attraction to the opposite gender. The purple stripe in the middle represents attraction to two genders. Pansexual Pride Flag The Pansexual Pride Flag was created around 2010 in order to bring awareness to the community. Pansexual people are those who have the potential for emotional, romantic, or sexual attraction to people of any gender though not necessarily at the same time, in the same way or to the same degree. The pink stripe represents attraction to women while the blue stripe represents attraction to men. The yellow stripe is for everyone else in between and beyond the gender binary. Asexual Pride Flag The Asexual Pride Flag was created in 2010 following a contest by the Asexual Visibility and Education Network. Asexual individuals are people who do not have a sexual attraction to any gender. Each stripe has a different meaning: black represents asexuality, gray means gray-asexuality & demisexuality, white stands for non-asexual partners and allies, and the purple represents community. Demisexual Pride Flag It is unknown when the Demisexual Pride Flag was created, but it represents people who only form sexual attraction for people once they have established a deep emotional connection with them. Each color has a different meaning: black represents asexuality, gray stands for demisexuality, white means sexuality, while purple represents community. Polyamory Pride Flag In 2021, over 30,000 members of the polyamorous community voted for this new Polyamory Pride Flag design by Red Howell, which created a contemporary approach to the traditional vexillological elements of the original flag from 1995, and represents elements around different core values including white for possibility, magenta for desire and love, blue for openness and honesty, gold for energy and perseverance and purple representing the united non-monogamous community. Polysexual Pride Flag The Polysexual Pride Flag was created online in 2012 for people that are attracted to multiple, yet not all, gender. The blue stripe represents attraction to men, pink stands for the attraction to women, while green is for attraction to those outside of the binary. Dig deeper: Learn the meanings, and origins of Pride flags Pride Flag | Progress Pride Flag | Lesbian Pride Flag | Bisexual Pride Flag | Pansexual Pride Flag | Asexual Pride Flag | Intersex Pride Flag | Gender Identity Flags | Trans-Pride Flag
Evening Standard
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Evening Standard
Come back corporate Pride — we didn't know how good we had it
Pride was a protest, I liked to snarkily remind everyone who would listen to an insufferable baby bisexual back in the 2010s. A reminder of the Stonewall Riots of 1969, all we fought for and still fight for. Not a place for companies to pinkwash their reputations. In 2018, our biggest worry felt like British Airways sponsoring Brighton Pride when the airline faced accusations it was helping to deport queer migrants.
CBS News
11-06-2025
- CBS News
Pride flag stolen from home in Upper Moreland, Pennsylvania, during Pride Month; police searching for thief
Police are searching for a man who took a Pride flag from a Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, home on Monday and drove away. The flag was at a home on Horsham Road in Upper Moreland Township when the suspect, a white man in all black clothing who was driving a black Toyota Prius, pulled up outside the home and ripped down the flag. Upper Moreland Township Police Home surveillance camera images provided by police show the man walking up the home's driveway before leaving with the flag. The Upper Moreland Police Department shared the images on Facebook. The department says anyone who recognizes the man should reach out to tsmith@ or submit an anonymous tip at June 1 marked the start of Pride Month, which celebrates the LGBTQ community with parades, marches and cultural events timed with the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in New York. Philadelphia kicked off the month with the Pride March and Festival on June 1.
