Understanding Pride Month: its vital role in advancing LGBTQ+ rights

THE UNFINISHED FIGHT FOR PRIDE

- TERRY VAN DER WALT

IN 1996, Pastor Baker led the chant of a group of Christians protesting at the Joburg Pride, as he had done on previous occasions, holding up the usual “Adam & Eve, not Adam & Steve” posters, while clutching and preaching from his Bible.

A bunch of queens armed with posters bearing our Tree Emblem and Preamble to our Constitution leapt onto a float at Library Gardens in a fabulous flurry, thrusting the posters in front of themselves, forward and backward, and getting the whole crowd to chant back: “God loves me, and he knows I’m gay!”

Pure genius

If you didn’t know, Gay is an acronym for “Good As You”.

It was not the first Pride event I had ever attended, but it was certainly light years apart from the first one I supported in Durban in the 90s.

Along the city streets and beachfront moved a small group of somewhat subdued attendees.

Among them were several who wore paper packets over their heads, with holes cut into them so they could see where they were going.

Being identified at a gay event in the 90s could jeopardise your job, friendships and family ties