Pride Parades for countries like Uganda

So several people have asked me why we still have pride marches or parades, why do we still fight for it? In all honesty, I always reply "The fight isn't over, we are but in the midst of it all".

Out of the 195 countries in the world, about 28 of the countries accept gay-marriages. That's 14,3% of governments globally. The rest of the 167 countries consider being part of the community a crime. In most of these countries it is a crime punishable by death.

So, ask me that question again?

Statistics show that our fellow siblings are being sent to their death of being authentic and that breaks my heart. Imagine that, imagine it being a crime to be happy and in love. Imagine it is a crime to be fearlessly authentic. Imagine that, I don't know about you but that doesn't sound like how life should like be at all.

"Be yourself", "Love thy neighbor as thyself", "Love is a beautiful thing, embrace it" and many more are phrases I've been told ever since I was little. I'm talking about people of different cultures, religions, backgrounds, races, all telling me the same thing. Yet are the same people who say being queer is sinful. 

Our love looks different your love doesn't mean it's sinful. Just because you don't understand my love doesn't mean you have to hate it or destroy it. 

For example, let's take pineapple pizza. I debate that would rage the world until kingdom come. Let's say there are two sides. One side likes pineapple on pizza and the other side doesn't. I'm not going to murder or imprison someone because they don't like pineapple pizza. I'm not going to hate them either, no instead I'm going to be polite about it and let them be.

Yes but Charlie it's not as simple as that.

It is. It's all about preference. I'm not speaking for the trans folks because I'm sure it's quite different for them.

So are you going to kill someone because their preference is a crime? 

In all seriousness (as if I wasn't being serious before this point), this is happening in the world out there and it is baffling. Most of the world's governments call being authentic a crime. A specific government that's been under pressure as of late is the Ugandan government.

On 20 December 2009, the Ugandan government passed an anti-homosexual bill. Making it punishable by death. In 2014 the bill passed and instead of death, people sentenced to life in prison.

Pure, fuckery but anyway...

The gays of Uganda agree. So instead of dealing with it any longer, the LGBTQ+ community of Uganda are standing up for their rights against the government. As Transgender activist Javan said to CNN news - "As Ugandans, we have the right to be who we are," she said. "And Ugandans (need to) start respecting LGBT people. These are your children, they are sisters, they are mothers, they are brothers. ... Let's not preach hate but preach love. Together we stand as the LGBT community in Uganda."

And I couldn't agree more. These words shouldn't apply to Ugandans but the rest of the world. We all need to understand and respect that.

So, why do we still have pride parades? For countries like Uganda. We are in the midst of it all, we must carry on. Most governments still consider being queer illegal.

But also, for the people of the past. For the ones who died trying or those who got killed for being themselves. For the younger children scared to come out. We march in celebration for you. We march to honor everyone. Pride isn't to challenge governments but it is also a celebration.

To anyone who reads this and is afraid of coming out. You have a whole community that's got your back. You are not alone, always remember that.

-THE END-

Hey everyone, thank you for reading. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section.
Charlie
xx