David Farnor | On 29, Jun 2020

Pride celebrations will continue well into July this year, with new online festival Pride Inside bringing gigs, comedy and talks together.

The coronavirus pandemic, and subsequent lockdown, has led a large number of Pride events to be cancelled, but just as streaming platforms and online video call services have come to the fore to connect people with culture and each other, the internet has also proven a vital tool for Pride celebrations. Not to be confused with Amazon’s two-day festival launched at the weekend, also called Pride Inside, this Pride Inside is a 12-day event that was organised by Amnesty International, UK Black Pride, Gendered Intelligence, Stonewall and ParaPride.

It will see artists, musicians, comedians, DJs and activists take part in a series of performances, talks, workshops and arts-based events. Launch on 28th June, it will run until 10th July.

Sen Raj, Amnesty International’s Rainbow Network committee member, said: “COVID-19 won’t stop us celebrating LGBTI+ rights. This year, Pride will be inside – in our homes and in our hearts. Around the world, the pandemic is having a disproportionate effect on LGBTI+ people who have been historically discriminated against in their access to healthcare, housing and employment. That’s why this year, it’s more important than ever that LGBTI+ people and their allies have a chance to come together, celebrate how far we’ve come as a movement and support each other where we still have further to go.”

Phyll Opoku-Gyimah, Co-Founder and Executive Director, UK Black Pride, said: “UK Black Pride is thrilled to work alongside Amnesty International to provide a digital programme of events for Pride Inside. Events like UK Black Pride are important for our community, and we’re excited to share an immersive, thought-provoking, healing and celebratory digital programme that centres conversations of great importance to our communities.

“And it will be fun. Our lives as LGBTQ people of colour are far more than the sum of our negative experiences with structural, societal and intercommunal discrimination. We are some of the most resilient, joyous and giving people on earth, and Pride Inside will be an opportunity for us to come together in support and celebration of each other and our lives. We can’t wait to celebrate with you all.”

See the full line-up of events here.

Add to Watchlist