Beyond the Rainbow - Pride in 2020
Words by Laurie Belgrave, Founder & Director of The Chateau
The Pride flag is a radical symbol of the queer community, signifying inclusivity, strength, visibility, and hope. In recent years more colours have been added to visibly reflect the inclusion of BAME and Trans people, who need our solidarity and support now more than ever.
With many “official” Pride events and festivals cancelled due to COVID-19 we are treating this years Pride month as a time reconnect with the roots of the movement, and to unify in fighting for the end of systemic racism and inequality in our society, in vocal solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement, alongside campaigning for the rights of our Trans siblings. Pride is a protest, not something to be adopted with rainbow logos by multinational corporations, and this month we are reminded that the movement was started at the Stonewall riots in 1969 by Black Trans people, Black gender non-conforming people, Latinx Trans and gender non-conforming people, Trans and gender non-conforming people of colour. People such as Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera and Stormé DeLarverie among others, who we thank for the rights of LGBTQ+ people today. We honour them and pledge to continue their work
To quote Marsha P. Johnson - “No Pride for some of us without liberation for all of us”
This mini-exhibition includes images of 5 incredible Black queer performers, customers and staff from our Chateau archive.
Richard Philip
The Chateau is a pop-up LGBTIQA+ bar and cultural space for SE London, previously operating from an empty religious themed cocktail bar underneath The Church Street Hotel in central Camberwell
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If you would like to support The Chateau, we have partnered with Wolfgang Tillmans and his 2020Solidarity project, and are selling artist posters until 24 June to raise money for our COVID fund and for House of Rainbow, a charity that provides pastoral care for Black LGBTIQA+ folk including those who are HIV+, and Asylum seekers. Alternatively, we are asking for donations to UK Black Pride
