This year's PRIDE cloud

from Mark Segal of Philadelphia Gay News: As someone who helped marshal that very first Pride in June 1970, I've witnessed its many transformations. It's no surprise to say Pride today doesn't look much like it did back then - even in the city where it was born, New York.

That original march was a protest, plain and simple. It was our way of telling the city - and the world - that we would no longer hide. We were ready to be out, loud and proud. It marked a break from the more cautious "homosexual rights" movement that came before us. Over time, Pride evolved into a celebration - of our victories, our survival, and our right to simply exist as ourselves.

But it hasn't been without conflict. Some felt Pride became too corporate. Others believed it turned its back on its roots and founders. Many questioned the lavish spending, high salaries of organizers, or the erasure of marginalized voices within the community. Some cities even canceled Pride out of fear. And the concerns continue.

This year, Pride takes place under a heavier cloud than most. Those longstanding tensions are now compounded by a very real and immediate threat.

Let's be clear: Our community is under attack. The Trump administration's aggressive rollback of LGBTQ+ protections, its intimidation of corporate allies, and its war on DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) are already having an impact. HIV/AIDS programs are being gutted. Community centers and clinics are losing vital federal funding - like the $3.5 million cut from the Los Angeles LGBT Center. Corporate support is drying up, and many Pride organizations across the country have lost up to a quarter of their funding. The ability to hire, promote and celebrate openly LGBTQ+ people is shrinking in many workplaces.

So what now?

We go back to the roots. The reasons behind that first Pride are the same today: We must be visible. We must remind the world that we will not be erased. When they try to push us back into the closet, we respond the way we always have - by stepping out louder, prouder and more united than ever.

That first Pride? We didn't know how many would show up. We had no corporate sponsors, no government support and no guarantee of a permit. But we marched anyway - because being seen mattered more than anything standing in our way.

And that's my message to you now:

Honor the past. Follow our example. And no matter what stands in your way - march anyway.

Because our greatest weapon has always been visibility. And with it, we move forward. Always.

Mark Segal

Mark Segal is an American journalist. He is the founder and publisher of Philadelphia Gay News and has won numerous journalism awards for his column "Mark My Words," including best column by The National Newspaper Association, Suburban Newspaper Association and The Society of Professional Journalists.