Thousands of protesters took to the streets of London today to protest against inequality in the LGBT+ community.
The Reclaim Pride march saw activists protesting about the state of LGBT+ rights in the county, including those within the transgender community.
They called on Boris Johnson to improve LGBT+ rights and expressed frustration at their belief that Pride events across the world had become commercialised and didn’t give a chance to protest against inequality.
Protesters marched though central London – heading along Regent Street and Oxford Street, before finishing at Hyde Park.
Activists were heard chanting “pride is not for profit, keep your hands off it”, and “trans rights now”.
Organiser Peter Tatchell said on Twitter: “Thousands celebrated AND protested for LGBTI+ rights. We told Boris Johnson to stop stalling on LGBTI+ rights! And expressed solidarity with lesbian & bi women worldwide.”
“We’re here to say that Pride is about inclusion,” said Phyll Opoku-Gyimah, executive director of UK Black Pride, Europe’s largest LGBT+ celebration for people of colour, which attracted about 15,000 people in 2019.
One protester told Socialist Worker that people say things are “better” for LGBT+ people because there’s more “visibility”, adding “there is still work to do and trans and black people continue to be repressed”.
Many banners and signs called for an end to the legal practice of LGBT+ conversion therapy
London’s official Pride march is scheduled to take place in September this year, after it was postponed in 2020 due to the pandemic.
The Reclaim Pride is one of several movements around the world which expressing frustration that LGBT+ celebrations does not give an opportunity to protest against inequality in that community.
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