Tag Archives: #LGBTPrideMonth

Apple Make Video Tribute To San Francisco Pride

Apple have posted a beautiful video showing the company’s support of employees who took part in this year’s San Francisco Pride Parade. According to the video, thousands of Apple employees and their families took part in the Pride Parade, including Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO.

The YouTube video was posted with the following message:

On June 29, thousands of Apple employees and their families marched in the San Francisco Pride Parade. They came from around the world — from cities as far as Munich, Paris, and Hong Kong — to celebrate Apple’s unwavering commitment to equality and diversity. Because we believe that inclusion inspires innovation.

Facebook Pride Celebrates around the World

100’s of Facebook employees have joined forces to celebrate and support pride across the world. The Facebook LGBT employee group took part in pride’s in Seattle, London, Dublin, Chicago, SF, and NYC.

Not only this but Facebook also launched new custom gender optionin the UK, to help users better express thier own identity on Facebook.

When you come to Facebook to connect with the people, causes, and organisations you care about, we want you to feel comfortable being your true self. An important part of this is the expression of gender especially when it extends beyond the definitions of just “male” or “female.”

So today – following a successful launch in the US earlier this year – we’re proud to offer the UK a new custom gender option to help you better express your own identity on Facebook.

Earlier this year we collaborated with our Network of Support – a group of leading LGBT advocacy organisations in the US – to offer an extensive list of gender identities. We’ve now teamed up with UK experts Press For Change and Gendered Intelligence to update the list of ways people can choose to describe themselves so it’s relevant to people in the UK.

Facbook

Photo by Jason Agron

World Pride Ends with Tegan and Sara and Firework Display

Nearly 12,000 people marched in the WorldPride parade in Toronto. With over 350 groups marching, flags from Uganda, Suriname and Jamaica were among those spotted in the crowd.

It’s very important to bring people all over the world together, people who in their country don’t have the opportunity to speak out, to have a voice. I think this platform gave people from around the world a voice in the fight (for) getting acceptance” and battling intolerance back home.”
Kenneth van Emden, Suriname

CityNews reporter Natalie Duddridge was in Yonge-Dundas Square where the WorldPride closing ceremony included a performance by Tegan and Sara.

Watch the footage.

Pink Dot Pride in Singapore’s Draws 26,000 People – #pinkdotsg

Despite prominent protests from religious groups, Singapore’s sixth annual Pink Dot festival drew record crowds today.

This year Pink Dot fell on the eve of Ramadan, and as a result both Christian and Muslim groups in Singapore joined forces to protest against the rally, in opposition to the “normalisation of LGBT” and “public promotion of homosexuality”. As a result, the organisers of the festival deployed security personnel for the first time, to protect participants from any clashes with opposition groups.

Despite the strong opposition, the crowd of 26,000 is the largest ever at the event.

“It is very heartening to see the dot growing year on year. We believe that this sends a strong message of love and acceptance, affirming that Singapore is a home for one and all, regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity. We are, at the end of the day, one big national Family, and it is especially humbling this year, to see the sheer support we have received from Singaporeans from all walks of life. Pink Dot remains committed to championing for an all-inclusive Singapore. Even as we remain mindful of opposition from certain quarters, we are confident that this Little Red Dot we call home is large enough for us all to co-exist peacefully, respectfully and with dignity.”

Paerin Choa, Spokesperson for Pink Dot Sg

Section 377A of the Singaporean Penal Code forbids male same-sex acts, although female same-sex sexual activity was legalised in 2007. Although the law is sporadically enforced, a constitutional challenge against it was dismissed by courts last year.

image source: getty Images

#PrideCast – Watch Mashable’s Livestream of NYC Pride March

You don’t have to travel to New York City this weekend to experience the NYC Pride March. Today, the city streets will welcome the march, and Mashable will be providing coverage, commentary and interviews live from the march route.

Via a livestream on the Mashable YouTube channel, there will be interviews with Orange Is The New Black’s Laverne Cox, Frozen’s Jonathan Groff, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force’s Rea Carey and Kinky Boots’ Natalie Joy Johnson, among many others attending the march.

Influencers and advocacy groups around the world will also join the event remotely through the power of Google+ Hangouts on Air to share their inspiring stories and efforts.

The month of June commemorates the Stonewall riots, which took place in New York City in June 1969. Now 45 years later, Pride Month is often observed and celebrated across the U.S. through LGBT Pride marches.

To follow the march through social media, keep up with all the action with the #PrideCast hashtag.

#PrideCast – Watch Mashable’s Livestream of NYC Pride March

#LGBTPrideMonth – Global Pride, this is What it Looks Like Around the World

With London Pride and San Francisco Pride only days away, we take a look (curtesy of Getty Images and Buzzfeed) at this year pride events around the world.

These stunning pictures show love, celebration, and hope from the world’s 2014 Pride month festivities in Sao Paulo (Brazil), Thessaloniki (Greece), Nicosia (Cyprus) – who celebrated the countries first Pride parade ever, Miami Beach (Florida), Auckland (New Zealand), Guadalajara City (Mexico), Rome (Italy), Tokyo (Japan), Seoul (Korea), Bucharest (Romania), Lisbon (Portugal), Athens (Greece), Los Angeles (California), Berlin (Germany), Ljubljana (Slovenia), Tel Aviv (Israel), Nantes (France), and Istanbul (Turkey).

Thousands Party at Israel’s Gay Parade – #LGBTPrideMonth

Tel Aviv is one of the few places in the Middle East where gays are free to walk hand-in-hand and kiss in public. However on Friday Tel Aviv was filled with tens of thousands of LGBT people holding hands, as they took part in the city’s annual gay pride parade, the largest event of its kind in the Middle East.

Tel Aviv has emerged as one of the world’s most gay-friendly travel destinations in recent years. The city’s openness to LGBTs stands in contrast to conservative Jerusalem, just a short drive away.

In Israel is becoming more liberal, the LGBT community can now serve openly in military and parliament. However, leaders of the gay community say Israel still has far to go in promoting equality. There is still no gay marriage in Israel, primarily because there is no civil marriage of any kind. All Jewish weddings must be conducted through the Jewish rabbinate, which considers homosexuality a sin and a violation of Jewish law. But the state recognises same-sex couples who marry abroad.

Across the rest of the Middle East, gay and lesbian relationships are mostly taboo, with same-sex relations being punishable by death in Iran, Mauritania, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Yemen.

 

 

Our Pick of the Pink Parties – #LGBTPrideMonth

Summer’s here and LGBTQ Pride events all over the world are getting ready to kick off! Wherever you are, wherever you want to go, from San Francisco to the Canary Islands, you’ll have a fantabulosa time.

Here’s our guide to the greatest Pink Parties around the globe.

The Original and Still the Best

San Francisco enjoyed its very first Pride in 1970 just a year after the Stonewall Riots changed attitudes to LGBTs forever. It has grown to be a massive festival since then – perhaps the world’s biggest.

Sexy Spanish Style

Spain’s hottest gay spot, the Yumbo Centre in Gran Canaria hosts the busy and flamboyant Gay Pride Maspalomas every May, but is a favourite hangout of LGBTs all the year round.

Nordic Pleasures

Stockholm Pride has long been the biggest gay party in Scandinavia. Almost the whole city turns up for the fun and the highlight has to be the announcement of Mr Gay Sweden. Swing by there in August if you can!

The Big Pink Apple

Although this year’s New York Pride is unlikely to be as frenzied as 2011’s (the year gay marriage was legalised in the state), it’ll still be a fantastic experience. From PVC parties to bear pubs, kitsch palaces to country dancing jamborees – NY has it all!

Seaside Shindig

Britain can lay claim to several first-rate Pride events, but the one that everyone’s talking about this year has to be Brighton’s. The colourful and multifarious procession works its way from the historic pier, through the streets and into Preston Park, which is jam-packed with great music, entertainment and food tents. Unmissable!

Raunchy Riverdance

Antwerp might not be Europe’s biggest city but it sure knows how to put on a Pride party. The August White Party involves thousands of revellers dressed in white and dnacing on the banks of the river until sunset. It’s a beautiful experience that welcomes everyone – LGBT or straight.