Since nine years now, Plaza has been accustomed, tolerant and respectful towards the carnivalesque procession of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans (LGBT) people and allies in the roads of Rose-Hill.

This year, numerous organisations joined the Pride: Collectif Arc-en-Ciel, PILS, CUT, LEAD, Chrysalide; the presence of people from the U.S. Embassy and H.E. the U.S. Ambassador Shari Villarosa; and two newly formed organisations VISA-G(for trans people) and the Young Queer Alliance (for young LGBT and Queers); grouped together,  brandishing with pride their rainbow-colourful balloons, banners and flags, slogans, a float of vans and motor-cars, the sizzling music of mobilisation and celebration, party masks and boas, the exciting and daring show of trans-people in all their beauty… an unprecedented show blazing in all six colours: Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue and Violet of the Queer Rainbow having for theme: Express Your-self (Exprim twa)!

With YQA presence as a youth organisation, visibly, the massive influx of queers at this 9th Edition of the Rainbow Parade amassed the whole procession numerically and in terms of creativity and leadership. Novelties were: Pompom, hand printing themed: “La toile de la tolérance”, and predominantly the slogan: Zordi nu marsé, dimé nu voté, all summed-up to an explosive cocktail of celebrations, claims and renewal. M. M. Etienne of the Collectif Arc-en-Ciel rightly stated: “Maraine p vin vié, mé mo fier truv rélev prézan”.

The Queers to renew the Gay Rights with two stepping stones: a) Recognition of Gender and b) Protection from Hate Crimes due to Sexual Orientation and Gender; a dream coming reality in years to come.

History: Queer? Weirdo? Deviant? Bizarre? 

Queer used to be a derogative term for effeminate gays in the late 19th century. Late 1980s and beginning 1990s, the LGBT people reappropriated ‘Queer’ from its pejorative use, today being an umbrella term for sexual and gender identities. An example is the creation of Queer Nation an LGBT organisation.

Ah, do we really have to use that word? It’s trouble. Every gay person has his or her own take on it. For some it means strange and eccentric and kind of mysterious… And for others “queer” conjures up those awful memories of adolescent suffering… Well, yes, “gay” is great. It has its place. But when a lot of lesbians and gay men wake up in the morning we feel angry and disgusted, not gay. So we’ve chosen to call ourselves queer. Using “queer” is a way of reminding us how we are perceived by the rest of the world.

(QUEER NATION. New York Gay Pride Parade: Queer Read This. June, 1990)


Fokeerbux N.A.

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