Black gay pride

Not to be confused with Black pride.
Popular pride flag variant; the black and brown stripes represent people of color, and the blue, pink and white are those of the trans pride flag.

The black gay pride movement is a global campaign tailored for black people who are also members of the LGBTQ community. Starting in the 1990s, black gay pride movements began as a way to provide black LGBT people an alternative to the largely white mainstream LGBT movement. According to some, white gay prides are seen to enforce, both consciously and unconsciously, a long history of ignoring the people of color who share in their experiences.[1] The history of racial segregation seen in other organizations such as nursing associations, journalism associations, and fraternities is carried on into the black gay prides seen today.[1] The exclusion of people of color in gay pride events is perceived by some to play into existing undertones of white superiority and racist political movements.[2]

In response, the movement serves as a way for black LGBT people to discuss specific issues that are more unique to the black LGBT community and celebrate the progress of the black LGBT community. While the mainstream gay pride movement, often perceived as overwhelmingly white,[3][4] the black gay pride movement has focused on issues such as racism, homophobia, and lack of proper health and mental care in black communities.[5][1]

Today, there are about 20 black gay pride events all over the United States.[6] While black pride events started as early as 1988, D.C. Black Pride, which began in 1991, has been cited as one of the earliest celebrations.[7] The D.C. Black Pride celebration started out of a tradition called the Children's Hour 15 years prior.[7]

  1. ^ a b c Harris, Ramón (June 25, 2020). "The Significance of the Black Gay Pride Experience". Between the Lines.
  2. ^ White, D. (2016). Brier, J.; Downs, J.; Morgan, J. (eds.). Out and on the Outs: The 1990s Mass Marches and the Black and LGBT Communities. Springfield: University of Illinois Press. pp. 282–294.
  3. ^ Levin, Sam (2016-06-25). "Too straight, white and corporate: why some queer people are skipping SF Pride". the Guardian. Retrieved 2018-04-22.
  4. ^ ""Not a white LGBTQ organization": Atlanta Pride strives to be more inclusive". NBC News. Retrieved 2018-04-22.
  5. ^ "Black gay pride events grow, reaffirm identity". SFGate. Retrieved 2018-04-22.
  6. ^ "Celebrating Black Gay Pride". NPR.org. Retrieved 2018-04-22.
  7. ^ a b "Why Black Pride Matters". 2016-04-28. Retrieved 2018-04-22.