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Why Pride Was Never Just a Celebration?
Every victory deserves to be celebrated. But every step that made that victory possible is just as important as the history written up to that day.
When June arrives, rainbows begin to appear not only in the sky but also among us. On the streets, in store windows, on social media feeds, in city squares... The jubilant atmosphere created by these colors, which multiply over the course of a month, often leads people to remember Pride as nothing more than a celebration.
Yet Pride’s history did not begin with celebration.
Before the first marches, there were police raids. Before the first flag, there were people who were made invisible and felt alone. In years when even gathering together carried risks, people were searching for ways to find one another.
Today’s Pride events, attended by millions of people around the world, are not the result of a single event; they are the result of struggles waged over decades in different countries and in different forms. Marching in the streets in one place, publishing a magazine in another, or even simply being able to say one’s name, all of these are part of the movement. And every era has found its own unique form of expression.
Movement as Self-Expression
Sometimes people recognize themselves first in others.
A small detail they notice out in the world becomes the name of a feeling they’ve been unable to put into words for years. It becomes their voice, expressing the things they want to tell themselves. A sentence, a book, a movie, someone walking down the street… And sometimes, a flag.
The first rainbow flag was designed in 1978 out of a desire to create a symbol that would bring people together around a shared identity. Designer and activist Gilbert Baker wanted to create a symbol, just like the flags of other countries, that would unite people, assigning a different meaning to each color. The inclusion of all these colors stemmed from his belief that nothing unique could be confined to a single color.
First flown on June 25, 1978, at the San Francisco Gay and Lesbian Freedom Day Parade, the flag quickly evolved beyond being merely a design. As intended, it became a common language that allowed people to recognize one another from a distance, feel a sense of belonging, and be visible.
Today, you can see the rainbow flag almost everywhere in the world, at a march, in a window, on the lapel of a jacket, or in a profile picture. Each time, it means something completely different to each person. For some, it’s a symbol of an identity they’ve known for years; for others, it’s the answer to a question they’ve asked themselves for the first time, or the moment they realize they’re not alone.
The best way to express oneself is, perhaps first and foremost, by finding a space where one can come to know oneself. It can emerge simply from the juxtaposition of a few colors.
Over the years, the flag has changed. New colors have been added, and different identities and communities have become more visible. Yet its meaning has never changed: Today, it remains one of the universal symbols of honor, community, diversity, and, above all, love.
Movement as Resistance
The purpose of the first marches was not to celebrate; it was to speak out against police violence, criminalization, and invisibility. Above all, protest was at the heart of Pride.
The hunger strike held in Gezi Park in 1987 was one of the first major actions carried out by trans women in the public sphere against police violence and systematic oppression. In that action, they not only protested the injustices they faced but also made visible the presence in the public sphere of a community that had been ignored for years.
Because in an era when simply being visible was a political act in and of itself, every step taken sparked a new wave of activism
Movement as Community
Even if a movement begins as a solitary effort, it rarely remains that way.
In 1993, the Christopher Street Day event planned for Istanbul was banned by authorities. Lambdaistanbul was founded that same year. Although a march could not take place, the obstacle they faced could not dampen their desire to come together. Community gatherings, cultural events, support networks, and safer spaces emerged. These evolved into new spaces where the movement continued to thrive.
It became clear that what sustains a movement is not merely marching down the same street on the same day, and this entire understanding underwent a transformation. It is valuable that people who do not know one another can, over time, stand shoulder to shoulder and see their own struggles reflected in the stories of others. This is what has fueled the growth of Pride in many parts of the world, not just the annual parades, but the people who stay connected long after the parades are over.
Movement as Memory
Every movement creates its own memory.
In 1994, Kaos GL began publishing its magazine, which would go on to become one of Turkey’s longest-running LGBTQIA+ publications. By documenting stories, discussions, testimonies, and everyday experiences, the magazine preserved a history that might otherwise have been lost.
Elsewhere, queer archives, independent publications, and collective projects like the AIDS Memorial Quilt served the same purpose. Because forgotten struggles often have to start all over again. Documented records are the memory that keeps movements alive, even long after the moment has passed.
Movement as Presence
Movement can take place right where you are, without even moving a muscle.
Your very existence alone can become a political act in and of itself. And it is. In 2001, members of Kaos GL participated in the May 1st marches in Ankara with their own banners, and in 2002, members of Lambdaistanbul did the same in Istanbul. For the first time, the LGBTQIA+ movement in Türkiye was making itself visible under its own name at a mass labor march.
Participating in this march was not merely about walking in the same procession. People who had been rendered invisible for years stood side by side in the public sphere, declaring, “We are here.” Because being visible goes beyond simply being seen; it is a declaration that one cannot be ignored, cannot be erased, and will not give up one’s existence. Sometimes, simply existing is an act of resistance in and of itself.
Movement as Walking
Although walking may be one of the most ordinary forms of movement, its impact is quite significant compared to its ordinariness.
In 2003, about thirty people gathered for Istanbul’s first Pride March. This number might seem very small when compared to the hundreds of thousands who participate in the march today. Yet the people there were never just a number. What mattered was that they saw one another. And one day there were 30 people, the next day 40. One person’s participation gave another the strength to join the movement.
And walking is an action far too powerful to be reduced to simply going from one place to another. People who had lived apart for years finally shared the same street. And every Pride March became a collective melody of existence, sung through the sound of footsteps.
Movement as a Voice
A voice can be heard on its own. But when it joins other voices, it ceases to belong to just one person.
The year 2013 marked one of the greatest turning points in the history of the Istanbul Pride March. Following the Gezi Park protests, the march, which drew approximately 100,000 participants, became one of the largest Pride events not only in Türkiye but also in the region at that time.
It wasn’t just people who gathered on that street that day. Different struggles were marching side by side as well. And perhaps for the first time, it was felt so visibly that freedom is never won by anyone alone.
As a movement grows, so does its voice. But that voice isn’t made up solely of slogans. It multiplies through the echoes left by people who hear one another.
Movement as Persistence
Today, Pride is celebrated in many countries around the world.
At the same time, in many countries it is still banned, suppressed, or met with repression. In Türkiye, too, despite the systematic banning of Pride Marches since 2015, people continue to come together, create, and make their presence known in various ways.
Even as the direction, methods, and timing change, the movement itself is always there. It moves from the streets to memory, from memory to solidarity, and from solidarity back to the streets, and this transformation ultimately makes it possible to celebrate something. The movement is not merely about moving forward. It is about being able to continue despite all the bans and obstacles. And most importantly, it is about doing this together.
SOURCES:
1) https://pridebyonestop.co.uk/blogs/pride/story-of-gilberts-pride-flag?srsltid=AfmBOoqhVrpZWlCiZ0YEDZGQYRmhD-KctqlAeAXpHE99j_MA9AtKRUom
2) https://yazhocam.com/one-cikanlar/yasamda-israr-stonewalldan-bugune-onur-yuruyuslerinin-hikayesi/
3) https://lambdaistanbul.org/tarihce/
4) https://kaosgl.org/haber/kaos-gl-23-yasinda
5) https://www.istanbulelsewhere.com/top-picks/scrollslowtuesday
6) https://www.cfr.org/articles/how-lgbtq-pride-went-global
7) https://kaosgl.org/haber/dunyanin-en-guzel-pride-i
8) https://kaosgl.org/en/single-news/may-day-of-ankara-lgbt-rights-are-union-rights