Words by Smiley Team
In light of the pandemic, Amnesty International, UK Black Pride, ParaPride, Gendered Intelligence and Stonewall are uniting together to bring Pride celebrations online this year. The Pride Inside event is taking place between Sunday the 28th of June and Friday the 10th of July on the Pride Inside website.
The event will be jam-packed with music performances, comedy gigs, workshops, readings, content and panel discussions featuring an exciting list of artists including Ana Matronic, Layton Williams, Vick Hope, Rosie Jones, Dr Ranj, Jacob V Joyce, Kemah Bob, Marika Hackman, Toya Delazy, Arlo Parks, L Devine, Aaron Carty, Joelle Taylor, Michael Cashman CBE, Niki Albon, James Mac, the Cocoa Butter Club, Busy Being Black podcast and more.
The line-up will also feature renowned speakers including Lady Phyll, as well as Human Rights Defenders from Poland and Ukraine.
Events will include make-up tutorials, DJ sets, book readings, workshops on being young and trans, as well as discussions on how COVID-19 is impacting the LGBTI+ community and activism around the world.
Comedian Rosie Jones who is taking part says "I'm so excited to be part of Pride Inside. It's a tough time for a lot of people at the moment. Pride is as important and as relevant as ever. I can't wait to see you all there...virtually!"
A launch party with music and comedy performances kicked off the celebrations on Sunday 28th June, on the same date that the Stonewall Riots - an act of resistance, led by Black and brown LGBTI+ communities against police raids and brutality that sparked a revolution in LGBTI+ activism and civil rights - took place 51 years ago.
Every year, Pride celebrations mark progress made on LGBTI+ rights, but also serve as a reminder of how far there is to go. In 2020, in many countries across the world, simply standing up for LGBTI+ rights means living with the threat of daily discrimination, attacks or even killings.
“We understand how vital events like UK Black Pride have become for the communities we represent, and were deeply saddened we had to postpone our annual celebration.” said Phyll Opoku-Gyimah, co-founder and executive director of UK Black Pride, said:
“Pride Inside is a programme of digital events that will provide a space for our communities to discuss, learn and celebrate at a time that is particularly difficult for us. Now more than ever, we need spaces to call our own so we can share our experiences with each other, support each other, find our joy and do some much-needed healing work.”
In addition to the Pride Inside festival, there is also an exciting billboard and visibility campaign being operated.
You can find out more about the event by heading to prideinside.co.uk
By Ellen Jones
