Community members see corporate interests as purely self-serving while businesses argue they are proud allies and are just supporting an important cause. Why? Well, a few reasons, but by far the most common gripe is the uptick in corporate sponsorship in the events.Īs business interests in Pride grow, so does the rigid dichotomy between LGBTQ activists and corporate bigwigs. And although Pride events have done wonders for the visibility of queer expression, modern Pride events have come under fire from many within the community (and many heterosexuals too, but that’s a much different blog post). But, we can say with confidence that Pride parades and marches have helped the movement. Of course there is no way to pinpoint the exact events that have helped us earn our rights, and it would even be silly to suggest that anything short of decades of hard work and sacrifice by millions of LGBTQ folks helped us arrive at where we are today. But despite the unexpectedness of the movement, the LGBTQ community continued to fight for equal rights, and 50 years later we have surely come a long way.
Johnson threw the infamous brick during the Stonewall Riots in 1969, the world had no idea that a rainbow wave was heading its way.
