On June 27, hundreds of people gathered in downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire to celebrate LGBTQ Pride. The march and festival was the first to be held in the small, coastal New England town and the significant turnout reflects shifting conditions related to the visibility of the LGBTQ community.
Organized primarily by Seacoast Outright, a youth-focused LGBTQ group, dozens of community groups, local churches, inclusive healthcare providers such as Planned Parenthood and the Party for Socialism and Liberation showed up to celebrate the LGBTQ community.
Marchers started at multiple locations, each wearing a color of the rainbow Pride flag, and converged in Market Square to a crowd of hundreds of supporters. In light of the historic ruling in favor of nationwide marriage equality, the marchers and community at large were ecstatic. Speeches by local community leaders emphasized the legacy of struggle given to us by older LGBTQ individuals and the amount of work it took to make nationwide marriage equality a reality.
The event marked an important first step in the recognition of the LGBTQ community in Portsmouth and reflects the shift in public opinion regarding certain LGBTQ rights. While the PSL salutes those who fought to make marriage equality a reality, we also recognize the need for continued militant action on the part of the LGBTQ community to eradicate homelessness, job discrimination, violence and the denial of adequate healthcare for the entire community. It is also important to use this victory to further empower marginalized sectors of the LGBTQ community as they struggle for liberation.
The Supreme Court’s ruling was not a present, nor was this victory due to President Obama’s public support for marriage equality. This victory is owed to the legacy of the Stonewall Rebellion and the mass movement for LGBTQ rights. To emphasize this, the PSL carried a banner reading “It is right to rebel against racism, anti-LGBTQ banner and police terror!” This message was extremely popular among those celebrating and those planning further efforts in the fight-back movement for LGBTQ rights.
