A Wet Pride – Sheltering Under a Small Rainbow Flag in the Rain – London's LGTB Pride in the Square.
alisdare1 posted a photo:
Trafalgar Square – Saturday afternoon 25 June 2016.
In the wake of the homophobic Florida terror attack it was inspiring to see London’s Pride march and rally attended by tens of thousands in defiance of the terror threat in the wake of the Orlando massacre.
The head of the LGBT NGO Stonewall, Ruth Hunt, commented that
“the need for us to stand together and say we are part of the LGBT community is as important today, as it was in the 1980s.”
London’s first Muslim mayor Sadiq Khan elected in May 2016, commented that he was “proud to be mayor of a city so LGBT+ friendly.”
A number of Muslims with LGBT and other placards were cheered by spectators along the march route which ran from Portland Place to Trafalgar Square.
Human Rights activist Peter Tatchell said the them of his organization, the Peter Tatchell Foundation, was LGBT-Muslim solidarity.
“In light of the horrific massacre of LGBT people in Orlando (we wish) to encourage an understanding that although gay people and Muslims are different, we share a common experience of prejudice, discrimination and hate crime and on that basis we should unite together and challenge all hate.”
Another important theme was tackling global issues of persecution and discrimination against LGBT people and several groups including Amnesty International, the Peter Tatchell Foundation and the Out and Diamond Group, A NGO representing African LGBT communities and campaigning for their rights, mobilized many of their members to participate in the march with placards reminding people of the need to think of those countries were such a gathering of LGBT people openly in the street would be impossible.
