Pride despite prejudice

UK Black Pride is fulfilling a necessary service to the LGBT+ community at large

From its inception in 2005, UK Black pride has served as a critical convergence point for those who find themselves caught in the intersectional crosshairs of being Black and LGBT+.  Intersectionality, a term conceptualized and coined by an analytical framework for understanding how aspects of a person’s social and political identities combine to create different modes of discrimination and privilege

UK Black pride was initially a day trip to Southend-on-Sea organised by Black lesbians in the UK (BLUK).  The group wanted to create an environment where diverse sexualities and identities could be both safe and celebrated.  Prior to this, no other organisation of this nature had existed. Formed as a direct response to a rise in racial violence, Xenophobia and Islamophobia and lack of refuge from the community, UK Black Pride aimed to tackle the rising dissent of LGBT+ people of colour who often felt negated by mainstream LGBT+ culture that actively participated in LGBT+ marginalisation.

According to the LGBT in Britain – Home and Communities Report – a study by YouGov – over 51% of Trans and intersex people of colour face discrimination within the LGBT+ community. Over a third of trans/non- binary people, an eight of differently abled people, and a fifth of LGBT+ people of non-Christian religions feel they’ve experienced discrimination from within the community because of different parts of their identities.  As well as this, only half of LGBT+ people are out to their families and friends.  Trans, intersex people of colour have often found themselves both under and misrepresented

UK Black Pride thus began its mission of strength through unity.  It has since become the biggest LGBT+ event in Europe for African, Asian, Indigenous, Caribbean, Latin American and Middle Eastern peoples, and its necessity has grown, with more charities like Stonewall actively creating partnerships.

Stonewall decided to withdraw from Pride in London in 2018 and created a new union with UK Black Pride – as well as some other community-led organisations in 2019 – as many felt Pride in London was not a champion of a diverse community

Growing from strength-to-strength, UK Black Pride has expanded from a humble 400 attendees in its first ever event to 10,000 Pride goer in 2019.  When it went digital for its 15th birthday anniversary last year due to the ongoing Covid 19 pandemic, more than 30,000 engaged with the event online.  It proved yet again the strength in unity that inclusive intersectional spaces provide

A society is only as strong as its most disenfranchised member, that’s why UK Black Pride is fulfilling a necessary service to the LGBT+ community at large: just as the LGBT+ minority fought hard for its inclusion in wider society.  True liberation cannot be reached until that becomes the priority

UK Black Pride will take place as a digital event across the weekend 2-4 July