June has been the month of many marches and demonstrations for more than 50 years, aimed at claiming freedom and equality of sexual orientation, as well as gender identities. The values of equality and respect are extremely important to us. If you've been following us for a while, you may already know our motto: "All that matters is love".
Before telling you more about the Pride March, we wanted to explain some terms that we see a lot, but which are very little defined.
First, let's talk about the LGBTQQIP2SAA cause. This rather long acronym has not always been. Until the 90s, we simply used the term "gay" to refer to all these communities. Considered too restrictive, it was first replaced by the acronym LGBT. And little by little, we dissociated other communities that deserved just as much visibility. But what does this mean?
The “L” stands for the lesbian community, anyone who defines themselves as female and sexually attracted to others who also define themselves as female.
The "G" stands for the gay community, Anyone who defines themselves as male and sexually attracted to other people who also define themselves as male.
The "B" represents the bisexual community, anyone sexually attracted to other people who define themselves as women or as men.
The “T” represents the trans community, anyone who is not defined by the gender assigned at birth.
Then, we added the "Q" for the Queer community, anyone who is not found and does not want to be categorized under a tag.
Then the other "Q" which represents people in questioning, who are still looking for themselves.
The "I" stands for the intersex community, people who anatomically have female and male attributes.
The "P" represents the pansexual community, anyone sexually attracted to other people of all sexual orientations and gender identities.
The "2S" represents the so-called "two spirited" community, anyone who has different combinations of female and male minds.
The "A" stands for the asexual community, anyone who does not experience sexual attraction.
And finally, the last "A" represents the allies to the cause, despite the fact that they do not identify with it.
We hope that this first definition will have enlightened you on the different causes defended during the Pride March. It is important to clearly define and understand a cause before you can say that you support it.
Now let's talk about the origins of Pride. It was in June 1969 in New York that the riot that sparked this movement took place. At that time, it was forbidden to sell alcohol to a homosexual person, to dance between men or to cross-dress. A police intervention with a group of openly homosexual people gathered in a dedicated bar (Stonewall Inn, in Greenwich Village) was thus held on grounds of "indecent assault". But for the first time, the persecuted people stood up to law enforcement. This courageous act of defending their rights marked the start of a movement, which is still relevant in 2021.
In France, it is the 50th anniversary of the Pride March. Indeed, it was in 1971 that the first French homosexual gathering took place, in Paris. Since then, every year in June, different cities in France organize their own event to defend the freedom and equality of these different communities. In 2019, tens of thousands of people gathered in Paris for this march, waving the same flag and the same values.
By the way ... Did you know? This famous rainbow flag (widely used today in marketing by large groups ...) was created in 1978! Graphic designer Gilbert Baker created it for the San Francisco parade.
We hope this article has helped you understand a little more about the importance of this movement. Arsayo believes in a society with more justice for all, in which no one is blamed for their sexual orientation, color, or gender. Equality is fundamental to us, and we sincerely hope to see you walking the streets this June, to support the LGBTQQIP2SAA community!
Let's celebrate love!