At the beginning of this Pride Month we should understand that without black lives there would be no Pride, it was BAME activists on the front line of the Stonewall Riots 51 years ago and now is it our turn to be there for them.
Like millions of people across the world, we have been horrified to see the violence and racism perpetrated by those in positions of power against George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and other members of the BAME community.
More than ever we need to step up and be counted, saying nothing is just not good enough.
Just not being racist is not enough, we need to be proactively anti-racist, to advocate, amplify and learn what it means to be anti-racist.
Pride has always promoted diversity and inclusion of all communities and, focusing on some of the appalling hate crime statistics and calling out transphobia, biphobia, racism and homophobia. Our #WeStandTogether campaign continues to be a call to action for all in the LGBTQ+ community and our allies to stand up to discrimination.
“The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people.” Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The BAME community are an integral and vital part of our Pride celebrations and urgent action is needed to overhaul a system that favours people based on skin colour or who they are.
Now more than ever, the LGBTQ+ community need to stand united and stand solidarity with the BAME community.
#WeStandTogether #BlackLivesMatter #NotADebate
