Unicorns, glitter, rhinestones and big sound: despite a very gray Parisian sky, the LGBTQ+ pride march regained color on Saturday June 25, after two years tarnished by the Covid-19 pandemic. Shortly after 2.30 p.m., a dense crowd surged from the golden gate (12e) in the direction of the Place de la République, under a fine rain and in a festive atmosphere as has generally been the case since the 1970s.
Rainbow umbrellas and capes dotted the procession, between the various floats of associations or LGBTQ + communities of companies like Air France or SNCF. The authorities, who anticipated a mobilization of 25,000 to 35,000 people in the capital, had decided to strengthen security the day after the fatal shooting in Oslo near a gay club.
But there was no concern among the participants. Several of them carried signs « free hug » (free hug), were calling to “imagining life gayly” or even proclaimed: “we are not monsters”. Around the procession, sellers of hats, flags, whistles and other rainbow-colored goodies supplied the troops.
Against transphobic violence
The slogan chosen this year by the collective association Inter-LGBT, which organizes this march, is: “Our bodies, our rights, your faces! » An assumed virulent formula which aims in particular to protest against the “trivialization” from “LGBTQIphobic and especially transphobic speech”too often ignored by public authorities, according to them.
The march is also in solidarity with Ukraine. As a symbol, it was Anna, a lesbian activist from this country at war since February 24, who was the first to speak in the head square.
“There are two situations that really changed my life: a very bad coming out twelve years ago and then the war”she testified in French, rejoicing to be in front of “free and courageous people” and calling for support.
Other speeches followed to denounce homophobia, but also to worry about the rise of the far right, to highlight the fate of LGBTQ+ migrants or to be moved by Friday’s decision by the US Supreme Court to revoke the right to abortion. An activist also insisted that the march is “a great moment of claim” and no “a great colorful party with good music”.
Marches alternatives
But in the crowd, the atmosphere was joyful. Coming from Dawn with his wife, Sandrine Martineau, 51, feathered headdress, said to herself “proud” et “blown away” by the crowd. Many young people were present, like Sandra Vail, 19, “proud to represent the LGBT community” and of “to show that love has no gender”.
Not far from there, Eloise, 15, who had come from Etampes with friends for her first walk, heard “to say that we are there, that we exist” and looked forward to spending time with other LGBTQ+ people because“at school, there are not many people…”. Sequins of rhinestones stuck on the forehead, Jennifer Than, 22, for whom it was also a first, insisted on the fact that“You have to accept everyone and that’s it! ».
In the afternoon, the organizers had planned three minutes of silence in tribute to the victims of AIDS. A concert was also on the menu at the end of the day with a hundred artists including Bilal Hassani, former candidate of France for Eurovision.
In addition to this usual demonstration, alternative marches have appeared in recent years, displaying other slogans and demands, often more protesting. On June 4, a thousand people marched in Saint-Denis for the second “suburban pride”. And on June 19, according to the associations, there were some 50,000 in Paris at the anti-capitalist and anti-racist “Radical Pride”.