Pride Was a Protest: Why Queer Liberation Is Antifascist
Every June, rainbow flags fill city streets. Today Pride can look like a party, with floats, music and corporate sponsors. But Pride did not start as a celebration. It started as a protest, and the fight it came from has always been an antifascist one.
Fascism has always targeted queer people
One of the first things the Nazis did after taking power in 1933 was to attack Berlin's queer community. In May 1933, they raided and destroyed Magnus Hirschfeld's Institute for Sexual Science, one of the world's first centers for research on sexuality and gender, and burned its library in the street. The institute had supported gay, lesbian and trans people, and had helped some of the first people ever to undergo gender-affirming surgery.
In the years that followed, thousands of gay men were sent to concentration camps, where they were forced to wear a pink triangle. Lesbians, trans people and gender-nonconforming people were also persecuted.
The lesson is simple: fascist movements need an enemy, and queer and trans people have always been on their list.
The first Pride was a riot
In June 1969, police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York. This time, the people inside fought back. The uprising lasted several nights. Trans women of color such as Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera are remembered as key figures of the movement that followed.
One year later, the first Pride marches took place to mark the anniversary. They were not parades; they were demonstrations for the right to exist in public without fear.
Why queer and antifascist go together
Today, attacks on trans rights, bans on drag shows and campaigns against LGBTQ+ education are often led by the far right. That is why so many people at Pride now carry the antifascist flag in rainbow, trans, lesbian or pan colors. It says two things at once: we are proud, and we will not let history repeat itself.
Antifascism is not only about stopping street violence. It is also about defending everyone fascism targets: migrants, Jewish and Muslim communities, disabled people, and queer and trans people.
Wear your pride and your politics
Our pride antifa designs put the classic Antifascist Action logo in the colors of your community:
- Antifa / LGBT Pride T-Shirt, with the rainbow flag
- Antifa / Trans Pride T-Shirt, in blue, pink and white
- Lesbian and pansexual versions in our pride antifa collection
- Matching pride antifa stickers to share at your next march
Need inspiration for the march? See our antifa outfit ideas. We ship worldwide, with free shipping on orders over $50.
