Latest news with #UKBlackPride
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
7 best places to learn about LGBTQ+ history
Curious travelers seeking to understand different cultures—near and abroad—can cure their curiosity by visiting historic landmarks and museums. The same can be done when expanding one's knowledge about the LGBTQ+ community and its history—and not just during Pride month in June. These places are open to the public year-round and collect, preserve, and share untold LGBTQ+ stories and contributions to the local and larger mainstream community. Visiting LGBTQ+ points of interest when you travel can help forge a deeper understanding of a destination and its queer community. "For too long, LGBTQ+ history was oral and hidden. Dedicated museums preserve truth, challenge misconceptions, and affirm the fundamental right to exist," says George Savoulis, director of Qtopia Sydney. We've compiled a list of the seven best places around the globe, including LGBTQ+ museums, that history lovers should consider visiting for Pride Month and beyond. (These monuments honor LGBTQ history around the world.) Located in New York City's SoHo neighborhood, this visual arts museum collects, preserves, and exhibits the work of LGBTQ+ artists including pieces that analyze themes, issues, and people in the community. Founders Charles Leslie and Fritz Lohman created the concept for the museum after hosting an exhibition of gay artists in their SoHo loft. Today, the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art's permanent collection includes Llanor Alleyne's mixed-media collage 'Another Poem (For Colin Robinson)' and Ann P. Meredith's photo taken during a women's AIDS foundation support group in 1987. Families visiting with children should be aware that some art on display does feature nudity. The museum also hosts temporary artist exhibits such as Young Joon Kwak's 'Resisterhood,' a celebration of the human body form and its imperfections during our youth, aging, gestation, or gender transformation. Queer figure drawing classes for and by queer trans bodies and storytelling that celebrate Latinx LGBTQ+ contributions to the arts are just a few examples of fun programs and activities offered to visitors. (See 100 years of LGBTQ history mapped across New York City.) Located in the King's Cross district of London, Queer Britain is the first LGBTQ+ museum in the UK. In 2018, Joseph Galliano-Doig and Iain Mehrtens held temporary art installations and exhibitions around the city, eventually becoming this one-of-a-kind museum in 2022. Queer Britain has four galleries that celebrate queer people but also serve as a place where visitors can immerse themselves in LGBTQ+ stories and ideas. Previous art installations and exhibitions have included a large Pride flag commissioned by Netflix to celebrate the third season of the TV series Heartstopper, a community showcase on queer migrant men, and an exhibit of Jimmy Somerville's album The Age of Consent (1984). The newest addition to the museum '20 Years of UK Black Pride,' follows the history of UK Black Pride, from its first gathering in Southend-on-Sea to how it became the largest free Pride celebration for LGBTQ+ Black and people of color. The exhibition runs through August 31, 2025. (Must-see LGBTQ-friendly destinations for every kind of traveler.) In 2024, Qtopia Sydney opened its doors to the public, becoming the largest LGBTQ+ museum in the world. The museum was the vision of the late Professor David Cooper who hoped to create a space to honor Australians impacted by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Cooper shared this dream with David Polson, one of the first men diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in Australia. Making Cooper's dream a reality, Polson founded Qtopia Sydney. The history doesn't stop there, the LGBTQ+ museum is housed inside Sydney's old Darlington Police Station, where many gay activists were held after the city's first gay protest in 1978. The LGBTQ+ community reclaimed the harrowed building by turning the prison cells into exhibits. "This building is a profound act of spatial justice—transforming a site of oppression and abuse into one of celebration and education," says Savoulis. The first cell of the old police station focuses on police brutality as it relates to the LGBTQ+ community. When visitors enter the museum, they are confronted with a thought-provoking and revealing exhibition dedicated to the HIV/AIDS epidemic (1981 to late 1990s). Previous temporary exhibits have included an homage to beloved drag queen Joyce Maynge, queer media like Lesbians on the Loose, and 'Bedazzled,' a creative display of costumes worn at Mardi Gras (Sydney's annual Pride celebration). Located near Fort Lauderdale's Holiday Park, the Stonewall National Museum, Archives, and Library (SNMAL) has preserved LGBTQ+ history for over five decades. Mark N. Silber founded SNMAL, which claims to have the largest LGBTQ+ collection in the world. The collection started in his parent's home in 1973, and today, SNMAL frequently rotates its exhibits, but there are permanent, must-see exhibitions on-site, including one that highlights four decades of LGBTQ+ history in Broward County, where the museum is located. "The exhibits represent the voice of the people, the times, and society at large to represent a full picture of history and culture," says Robert Kesten, president and CEO of SNMAL. SNMAL has hosted previous and upcoming exhibitions and events such as a re-enactment of the Stonewall uprising, "55 Years of Pride" and "Queer Baseball" exhibitions, a book signing with comedian Bruce Vilanch, and free queer movie nights, including queer favorites such as All About Eve, Moonlight, and Death Becomes Her. (These12 historic LGBTQ figures changed the world.) In 1984, Andreas Sternweiler, Wolfgang Theis, and Manfred Baumgardt were students working as guards at the former Berlin Museum. They encouraged the museum's director to host an exhibition about Berlin's LGBTQ+ community. During the summer of 1984, the exhibition— 'Eldorado – the History, Everyday Life, and Culture of Homosexual Women and Men 1850-1950,' was on display in the Berlin Museum and welcomed over 40,000 visitors. The success and popularity of 'Eldorado' sparked the idea to create a permanent residence for the exhibit, which would eventually be housed in what's known as Schwules Museum today. Schwules Museum has been in Berlin's Tiergarten neighborhood since 2013. Its goal remains to preserve European queer culture by chronicling LGBTQ+ history in Germany and other European nations. Its archive is full of periodicals from the 1990s and over 25,000 books about homosexuality, queer-feminist issues, transgender, and intersex identities. Kit Heyam's Before We Were Trans: A New History of Gender and Andrea Rottmann's Queer Lives Across the Wall: Desire and Danger in Divided Berlin, 1945–1970 are a couple of books visitors will find here. After browsing the library, visit the main exhibition space which displays galleries of photos, videos, postcards, letters, and clothing items from the LGBTQ+ community. The museum has hosted exhibitions on dandyism and Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, an East German gay icon. (Learn about the great hunt for the world's first LGBTQ+ archive.) The Gerber/Hart LGBTQ+ Library and Archives in Rogers Park is the largest LGBTQ+ library in the Midwest. Founded in 1981, it houses nearly 15,000 items focused on the LGBTQ+ community and organizations in Chicago and the Midwest of the U.S. Items on display include photo albums from Miss Tillie, a drag performer who started performing in the 1940s and eventually moved to Chicago in the 1960s. Some of the 800 periodicals in its archives include vintage issues of Thing, a Chicago-based magazine in circulation from 1989 to 1993 that covered the local Black LGBTQ+ community. Visitors can also explore curated galleries that focus on Chicago's drag scene, Pride memorabilia, banned LGBTQ+ books, and areas that focus on topics such as lesbian feminism of the 1970s and 1980s, bisexual activism, and lesbians in sports. Throughout the year, the library has an array of queer events such as a Queer Stitch Night led by fiber artist Isabel Sperry and the Queer Zine Club, an informal gathering of LGBTQ+ people who are curious about queer culture and zine making. (Activist Pattie Gonia is on a mission to make the outdoors a more welcoming place.) The GLBT Historical Society—in San Francisco's famed Castro District—is touted as the first stand-alone museum to showcase exhibits focused on LGBTQ+ history and culture in the United States. The museum chronicles queer activism and cultural movements in the Bay Area with a focus on diversity and social justice. The "Queer Past Becomes Present" exhibit in the main gallery curated a few personal belongings of Harvey Milk, a gay activist and the first openly gay mayor of San Francisco. The museum is also home to a large collection of LGBTQ+ historical materials including the Asian/Pacific AIDS Coalition records and Meg Barnett's collection of Lesbians Against Police Violence records which consist of the organization's agendas, flyers, notes from general and committee meetings, and a few newspaper and magazine clippings. The archives at the GLBT Historical Society are named after Dr. John P. DeCecco, a psychology professor, author, and pioneer in sexuality studies. Visits to the archives are by appointment only. (How this Gold Rush town became an LGBTQ+ haven for travelers and transplants.) Lola Méndez is an Uruguayan-American freelance journalist who writes about sustainability, travel, culture, and wellness. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter.
4 days ago
- Politics
Global LGBTQ+ advocates gather 'on Trump's doorstep' at World Pride despite travel anxiety
WASHINGTON -- Days before she was to deliver opening remarks to World Pride's human rights conference in Washington, Phyll Opoku-Gyimah, the co-founder of UK Black Pride, said she was denied entry to the United States after her visa was revoked due to her travels to Cuba earlier this year. Opoku-Gyimah, widely known as Lady Phyll, said she applied immediately for a nonimmigrant visa. The earliest date she was given: September. 'I've called. I've written. I've pleaded,' she said over a video livestream. 'And the answer was a cold, bureaucratic 'No.'' Many LGBTQ+ travelers have expressed concerns or decided to skip World Pride due to anxieties about safety, border policies and a hostile political climate. Yet cross-national strategizing has still been central to the gathering as international attendees echoed that they wanted to send a clear message of opposition to U.S. officials with their presence. 'This is World Pride on Trump's doorstep," said Yasmin Benoit, a British model and asexual activist. "And that's all the more reason to be here. We want to show the U.S. that there's a lot of eyes on what's happening here.' World Pride gathers LGBTQ+ advocates from around the globe and has taken place most recently in Australia, Sweden and Denmark. This year, which marks the 50th anniversary of Washington's Pride festival, is the first time the city is hosting the gathering. Yet for many, the global celebration has been complicated by President Donald Trump's policies targeting transgender people and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Trump, a Republican, has said that whether a person is a man or woman is determined by that person's biological characteristics at birth, and about two-thirds of U.S. adults agree with him, according to an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll. He has denounced DEI policies as a form of discrimination that threatens merit-based decision-making. Several countries, including Denmark, Finland and Germany, issued cautions for LGBTQ+ travelers visiting the U.S. for World Pride, culminates in a closing festival this weekend with a parade, a rally and concerts. Capital Pride Alliance, which organized World Pride D.C., included an advisory for transgender and nonbinary international travelers alongside security protocols. Egale Canada, one of the country's largest LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations, announced in February that its members would not attend any events in the U.S. through June, including World Pride. It cited concerns for transgender and nonbinary staff members. 'I didn't feel it was safe to have our staff crossing into the U.S. with the current hostilities, through legislation and rhetoric,' said Helen Kennedy, the organization's executive director. The African Human Rights Coalition, meanwhile, called for a boycott of World Pride in Washington 'because the event is being held in a venue ... governed now by an antagonistic fascist regime which presents distinct dangers to foreign LGBTQI+ attendees,' the organization said in a statement. Jessica Stern, a former U.S. special envoy for the human rights of LGBTQI+ people, acknowledged that many potential attendees decided to skip World Pride as they 'wonder if they'll be safe in U.S. airports and on our streets.' 'Thank you for coming to the U.S. amid a time of great uncertainty,' she said in her opening remarks before an emcee later instructed attendees to shout out where they had traveled from. Answers included New Zealand, Sweden, England, Zimbabwe, Australia, Nigeria and India. As an increasing number of international travelers have expressed anxiety, John Tanzella, president of the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association, said he has assured people that Washington is an inclusive city but advised them to stay informed of local policies, connect with LGBTQ+ organizations on the ground and book with trusted businesses with track records of inclusion. The organization is working on guidance for transgender and nonbinary travelers in the U.S. for the World Pride parade and march. 'Safety always comes up, especially in the current climate, but there's also a deep desire to bring our community together,' he said. 'For many, World Pride in Washington, D.C., feels extra meaningful given its location. There's caution, yes, but above all, people want to show up, be seen and be heard.' Benoit's friends had warned her not to travel to the U.S., and her anxiety was mounting in the days leading up to her flight. She planned to avoid telling customs agents she was traveling for World Pride. But when that information surfaced, she said agents took her passport and asked her questions for an additional hour about where she was staying and for how long. Still, she said, it is more important now than ever to 'send a message to Trump in his own backyard" and to embrace the global nature of World Pride. 'The ability to bring people together to understand how interconnected everything is, how this harmful rhetoric may bleed over to other countries, is really important," she said. 'And it's an opportunity to access resources and people you may not have access to back home.' Essy Adhiambo, executive director of the Initiative for Equality and Non Discrimination, deleted all the social media apps on her phone before her 35-hour journey from Mombasa, Kenya, worrying that her phone might be searched. Still, Adhiambo said being visible as an international LGBTQ+ community is powerful amid threats to the community across the globe. 'We must continue to protest in the current context we are in," she said. "Those of us who are able to make this journey have to hold space for those who could not, especially our trans siblings. We want to amplify our message on the land of the people who are supporting homophobia.' Nikki Phinyapincha, co-founder of Trans Pride Thailand, set off on a 25-hour journey to World Pride from Thailand after issuing a travel advisory from her organization for Thai LGBTQ+ people. 'The political climate and instability is not new, but it makes it more important that we are here," she said. "We need to keep doing this work, strategizing together and being adaptive.' For people from marginalized communities, Opoku-Gyimah said, 'just traveling to speak truth can often feel like a mountain.' 'We have to prove our worth at every border, every checkpoint,' she said. Yet Opoku-Gyimah applauded the international nature of World Pride amid "connected, coordinated ... and increasingly violent" attacks against LGBTQ+ communities across the globe. She said the U.S. government's rolling back of DEI initiatives, protections for the transgender community and reproductive rights have had ripple effects abroad, including in the U.K. 'When the U.S. sneezes," she said, 'other parts of the world catch that cold.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Global LGBTQ+ advocates gather 'on Trump's doorstep' at World Pride despite travel anxiety
WASHINGTON (AP) — Days before she was to deliver opening remarks to World Pride's human rights conference in Washington, Phyll Opoku-Gyimah, the co-founder of UK Black Pride, said she was denied entry to the United States after her visa was revoked due to her travels to Cuba earlier this year. Opoku-Gyimah, widely known as Lady Phyll, said she applied immediately for a nonimmigrant visa. The earliest date she was given: September. 'I've called. I've written. I've pleaded,' she said over a video livestream. 'And the answer was a cold, bureaucratic 'No.'' Many LGBTQ+ travelers have expressed concerns or decided to skip World Pride due to anxieties about safety, border policies and a hostile political climate. Yet cross-national strategizing has still been central to the gathering as international attendees echoed that they wanted to send a clear message of opposition to U.S. officials with their presence. 'This is World Pride on Trump's doorstep," said Yasmin Benoit, a British model and asexual activist. "And that's all the more reason to be here. We want to show the U.S. that there's a lot of eyes on what's happening here.' New policies make visiting more complex World Pride gathers LGBTQ+ advocates from around the globe and has taken place most recently in Australia, Sweden and Denmark. This year, which marks the 50th anniversary of Washington's Pride festival, is the first time the city is hosting the gathering. Yet for many, the global celebration has been complicated by President Donald Trump's policies targeting transgender people and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Trump, a Republican, has said that whether a person is a man or woman is determined by that person's biological characteristics at birth, and about two-thirds of U.S. adults agree with him, according to an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll. He has denounced DEI policies as a form of discrimination that threatens merit-based decision-making. Several countries, including Denmark, Finland and Germany, issued cautions for LGBTQ+ travelers visiting the U.S. for World Pride, culminates in a closing festival this weekend with a parade, a rally and concerts. Capital Pride Alliance, which organized World Pride D.C., included an advisory for transgender and nonbinary international travelers alongside security protocols. Egale Canada, one of the country's largest LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations, announced in February that its members would not attend any events in the U.S. through June, including World Pride. It cited concerns for transgender and nonbinary staff members. 'I didn't feel it was safe to have our staff crossing into the U.S. with the current hostilities, through legislation and rhetoric,' said Helen Kennedy, the organization's executive director. The African Human Rights Coalition, meanwhile, called for a boycott of World Pride in Washington 'because the event is being held in a venue ... governed now by an antagonistic fascist regime which presents distinct dangers to foreign LGBTQI+ attendees,' the organization said in a statement. Jessica Stern, a former U.S. special envoy for the human rights of LGBTQI+ people, acknowledged that many potential attendees decided to skip World Pride as they 'wonder if they'll be safe in U.S. airports and on our streets.' 'Thank you for coming to the U.S. amid a time of great uncertainty,' she said in her opening remarks before an emcee later instructed attendees to shout out where they had traveled from. Answers included New Zealand, Sweden, England, Zimbabwe, Australia, Nigeria and India. As an increasing number of international travelers have expressed anxiety, John Tanzella, president of the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association, said he has assured people that Washington is an inclusive city but advised them to stay informed of local policies, connect with LGBTQ+ organizations on the ground and book with trusted businesses with track records of inclusion. The organization is working on guidance for transgender and nonbinary travelers in the U.S. for the World Pride parade and march. 'Safety always comes up, especially in the current climate, but there's also a deep desire to bring our community together,' he said. 'For many, World Pride in Washington, D.C., feels extra meaningful given its location. There's caution, yes, but above all, people want to show up, be seen and be heard.' A bad experience while trying to enter Benoit's friends had warned her not to travel to the U.S., and her anxiety was mounting in the days leading up to her flight. She planned to avoid telling customs agents she was traveling for World Pride. But when that information surfaced, she said agents took her passport and asked her questions for an additional hour about where she was staying and for how long. Still, she said, it is more important now than ever to 'send a message to Trump in his own backyard" and to embrace the global nature of World Pride. 'The ability to bring people together to understand how interconnected everything is, how this harmful rhetoric may bleed over to other countries, is really important," she said. 'And it's an opportunity to access resources and people you may not have access to back home.' Essy Adhiambo, executive director of the Initiative for Equality and Non Discrimination, deleted all the social media apps on her phone before her 35-hour journey from Mombasa, Kenya, worrying that her phone might be searched. Still, Adhiambo said being visible as an international LGBTQ+ community is powerful amid threats to the community across the globe. 'We must continue to protest in the current context we are in," she said. "Those of us who are able to make this journey have to hold space for those who could not, especially our trans siblings. We want to amplify our message on the land of the people who are supporting homophobia.' Nikki Phinyapincha, co-founder of Trans Pride Thailand, set off on a 25-hour journey to World Pride from Thailand after issuing a travel advisory from her organization for Thai LGBTQ+ people. 'The political climate and instability is not new, but it makes it more important that we are here," she said. "We need to keep doing this work, strategizing together and being adaptive.' For people from marginalized communities, Opoku-Gyimah said, 'just traveling to speak truth can often feel like a mountain.' 'We have to prove our worth at every border, every checkpoint,' she said. Yet Opoku-Gyimah applauded the international nature of World Pride amid "connected, coordinated ... and increasingly violent" attacks against LGBTQ+ communities across the globe. She said the U.S. government's rolling back of DEI initiatives, protections for the transgender community and reproductive rights have had ripple effects abroad, including in the U.K. 'When the U.S. sneezes," she said, 'other parts of the world catch that cold.'
Toronto Star
4 days ago
- Politics
- Toronto Star
Global LGBTQ+ advocates gather ‘on Trump's doorstep' at World Pride despite travel anxiety
WASHINGTON (AP) — Days before she was to deliver opening remarks to World Pride's human rights conference in Washington, Phyll Opoku-Gyimah, the co-founder of UK Black Pride, said she was denied entry to the United States after her visa was revoked due to her travels to Cuba earlier this year. Opoku-Gyimah, widely known as Lady Phyll, said she applied immediately for a nonimmigrant visa. The earliest date she was given: September. 'I've called. I've written. I've pleaded,' she said over a video livestream. 'And the answer was a cold, bureaucratic 'No.'' ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Many LGBTQ+ travelers have expressed concerns or decided to skip World Pride due to anxieties about safety, border policies and a hostile political climate. Yet cross-national strategizing has still been central to the gathering as international attendees echoed that they wanted to send a clear message of opposition to U.S. officials with their presence. 'This is World Pride on Trump's doorstep,' said Yasmin Benoit, a British model and asexual activist. 'And that's all the more reason to be here. We want to show the U.S. that there's a lot of eyes on what's happening here.' New policies make visiting more complex World Pride gathers LGBTQ+ advocates from around the globe and has taken place most recently in Australia, Sweden and Denmark. This year, which marks the 50th anniversary of Washington's Pride festival, is the first time the city is hosting the gathering. Yet for many, the global celebration has been complicated by President Donald Trump's policies targeting transgender people and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Trump, a Republican, has said that whether a person is a man or woman is determined by that person's biological characteristics at birth, and about two-thirds of U.S. adults agree with him, according to an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll. He has denounced DEI policies as a form of discrimination that threatens merit-based decision-making. Several countries, including Denmark, Finland and Germany, issued cautions for LGBTQ+ travelers visiting the U.S. for World Pride, culminates in a closing festival this weekend with a parade, a rally and concerts. Capital Pride Alliance, which organized World Pride D.C., included an advisory for transgender and nonbinary international travelers alongside security protocols. Egale Canada, one of the country's largest LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations, announced in February that its members would not attend any events in the U.S. through June, including World Pride. It cited concerns for transgender and nonbinary staff members. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 'I didn't feel it was safe to have our staff crossing into the U.S. with the current hostilities, through legislation and rhetoric,' said Helen Kennedy, the organization's executive director. The African Human Rights Coalition, meanwhile, called for a boycott of World Pride in Washington 'because the event is being held in a venue ... governed now by an antagonistic fascist regime which presents distinct dangers to foreign LGBTQI+ attendees,' the organization said in a statement. Jessica Stern, a former U.S. special envoy for the human rights of LGBTQI+ people, acknowledged that many potential attendees decided to skip World Pride as they 'wonder if they'll be safe in U.S. airports and on our streets.' 'Thank you for coming to the U.S. amid a time of great uncertainty,' she said in her opening remarks before an emcee later instructed attendees to shout out where they had traveled from. Answers included New Zealand, Sweden, England, Zimbabwe, Australia, Nigeria and India. As an increasing number of international travelers have expressed anxiety, John Tanzella, president of the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association, said he has assured people that Washington is an inclusive city but advised them to stay informed of local policies, connect with LGBTQ+ organizations on the ground and book with trusted businesses with track records of inclusion. The organization is working on guidance for transgender and nonbinary travelers in the U.S. for the World Pride parade and march. 'Safety always comes up, especially in the current climate, but there's also a deep desire to bring our community together,' he said. 'For many, World Pride in Washington, D.C., feels extra meaningful given its location. There's caution, yes, but above all, people want to show up, be seen and be heard.' ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW A bad experience while trying to enter Benoit's friends had warned her not to travel to the U.S., and her anxiety was mounting in the days leading up to her flight. She planned to avoid telling customs agents she was traveling for World Pride. But when that information surfaced, she said agents took her passport and asked her questions for an additional hour about where she was staying and for how long. Still, she said, it is more important now than ever to 'send a message to Trump in his own backyard' and to embrace the global nature of World Pride. 'The ability to bring people together to understand how interconnected everything is, how this harmful rhetoric may bleed over to other countries, is really important,' she said. 'And it's an opportunity to access resources and people you may not have access to back home.' Essy Adhiambo, executive director of the Initiative for Equality and Non Discrimination, deleted all the social media apps on her phone before her 35-hour journey from Mombasa, Kenya, worrying that her phone might be searched. Still, Adhiambo said being visible as an international LGBTQ+ community is powerful amid threats to the community across the globe. 'We must continue to protest in the current context we are in,' she said. 'Those of us who are able to make this journey have to hold space for those who could not, especially our trans siblings. We want to amplify our message on the land of the people who are supporting homophobia.' Nikki Phinyapincha, co-founder of Trans Pride Thailand, set off on a 25-hour journey to World Pride from Thailand after issuing a travel advisory from her organization for Thai LGBTQ+ people. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 'The political climate and instability is not new, but it makes it more important that we are here,' she said. 'We need to keep doing this work, strategizing together and being adaptive.' For people from marginalized communities, Opoku-Gyimah said, 'just traveling to speak truth can often feel like a mountain.' 'We have to prove our worth at every border, every checkpoint,' she said. Yet Opoku-Gyimah applauded the international nature of World Pride amid 'connected, coordinated ... and increasingly violent' attacks against LGBTQ+ communities across the globe. She said the U.S. government's rolling back of DEI initiatives, protections for the transgender community and reproductive rights have had ripple effects abroad, including in the U.K. 'When the U.S. sneezes,' she said, 'other parts of the world catch that cold.'
Hamilton Spectator
4 days ago
- Politics
- Hamilton Spectator
Global LGBTQ+ advocates gather ‘on Trump's doorstep' at World Pride despite travel anxiety
WASHINGTON (AP) — Days before she was to deliver opening remarks to World Pride's human rights conference in Washington, Phyll Opoku-Gyimah, the co-founder of UK Black Pride, said she was denied entry to the United States after her visa was revoked due to her travels to Cuba earlier this year. Opoku-Gyimah, widely known as Lady Phyll, said she applied immediately for a nonimmigrant visa. The earliest date she was given: September. 'I've called. I've written. I've pleaded,' she said over a video livestream. 'And the answer was a cold, bureaucratic 'No.'' Many LGBTQ+ travelers have expressed concerns or decided to skip World Pride due to anxieties about safety, border policies and a hostile political climate. Yet cross-national strategizing has still been central to the gathering as international attendees echoed that they wanted to send a clear message of opposition to U.S. officials with their presence. 'This is World Pride on Trump's doorstep,' said Yasmin Benoit, a British model and asexual activist. 'And that's all the more reason to be here. We want to show the U.S. that there's a lot of eyes on what's happening here.' New policies make visiting more complex World Pride gathers LGBTQ+ advocates from around the globe and has taken place most recently in Australia, Sweden and Denmark. This year, which marks the 50th anniversary of Washington's Pride festival, is the first time the city is hosting the gathering. Yet for many, the global celebration has been complicated by President Donald Trump's policies targeting transgender people and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives . Trump, a Republican, has said that whether a person is a man or woman is determined by that person's biological characteristics at birth, and about two-thirds of U.S. adults agree with him, according to an Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll. He has denounced DEI policies as a form of discrimination that threatens merit-based decision-making. Several countries, including Denmark, Finland and Germany, issued cautions for LGBTQ+ travelers visiting the U.S. for World Pride, culminates in a closing festival this weekend with a parade, a rally and concerts. Capital Pride Alliance, which organized World Pride D.C., included an advisory for transgender and nonbinary international travelers alongside security protocols. Egale Canada, one of the country's largest LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations, announced in February that its members would not attend any events in the U.S. through June, including World Pride. It cited concerns for transgender and nonbinary staff members. 'I didn't feel it was safe to have our staff crossing into the U.S. with the current hostilities, through legislation and rhetoric,' said Helen Kennedy, the organization's executive director. The African Human Rights Coalition, meanwhile, called for a boycott of World Pride in Washington 'because the event is being held in a venue ... governed now by an antagonistic fascist regime which presents distinct dangers to foreign LGBTQI+ attendees,' the organization said in a statement. Jessica Stern, a former U.S. special envoy for the human rights of LGBTQI+ people, acknowledged that many potential attendees decided to skip World Pride as they 'wonder if they'll be safe in U.S. airports and on our streets.' 'Thank you for coming to the U.S. amid a time of great uncertainty,' she said in her opening remarks before an emcee later instructed attendees to shout out where they had traveled from. Answers included New Zealand, Sweden, England, Zimbabwe, Australia, Nigeria and India. As an increasing number of international travelers have expressed anxiety, John Tanzella, president of the International LGBTQ+ Travel Association, said he has assured people that Washington is an inclusive city but advised them to stay informed of local policies, connect with LGBTQ+ organizations on the ground and book with trusted businesses with track records of inclusion. The organization is working on guidance for transgender and nonbinary travelers in the U.S. for the World Pride parade and march. 'Safety always comes up, especially in the current climate, but there's also a deep desire to bring our community together,' he said. 'For many, World Pride in Washington, D.C., feels extra meaningful given its location. There's caution, yes, but above all, people want to show up, be seen and be heard.' A bad experience while trying to enter Benoit's friends had warned her not to travel to the U.S., and her anxiety was mounting in the days leading up to her flight. She planned to avoid telling customs agents she was traveling for World Pride. But when that information surfaced, she said agents took her passport and asked her questions for an additional hour about where she was staying and for how long. Still, she said, it is more important now than ever to 'send a message to Trump in his own backyard' and to embrace the global nature of World Pride. 'The ability to bring people together to understand how interconnected everything is, how this harmful rhetoric may bleed over to other countries, is really important,' she said. 'And it's an opportunity to access resources and people you may not have access to back home.' Essy Adhiambo, executive director of the Initiative for Equality and Non Discrimination, deleted all the social media apps on her phone before her 35-hour journey from Mombasa, Kenya, worrying that her phone might be searched. Still, Adhiambo said being visible as an international LGBTQ+ community is powerful amid threats to the community across the globe. 'We must continue to protest in the current context we are in,' she said. 'Those of us who are able to make this journey have to hold space for those who could not, especially our trans siblings. We want to amplify our message on the land of the people who are supporting homophobia.' Nikki Phinyapincha, co-founder of Trans Pride Thailand, set off on a 25-hour journey to World Pride from Thailand after issuing a travel advisory from her organization for Thai LGBTQ+ people. 'The political climate and instability is not new, but it makes it more important that we are here,' she said. 'We need to keep doing this work, strategizing together and being adaptive.' For people from marginalized communities, Opoku-Gyimah said, 'just traveling to speak truth can often feel like a mountain.' 'We have to prove our worth at every border, every checkpoint,' she said. Yet Opoku-Gyimah applauded the international nature of World Pride amid 'connected, coordinated ... and increasingly violent' attacks against LGBTQ+ communities across the globe. She said the U.S. government's rolling back of DEI initiatives, protections for the transgender community and reproductive rights have had ripple effects abroad, including in the U.K. 'When the U.S. sneezes,' she said, 'other parts of the world catch that cold.' Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
