Author Douglas Murray was asked this week if Pride was still relevant, leading to the right-wing pundit launching into a rant against both the Pride movement and corporation’s rainbow washing activism.
“I remember when Pride was a parade basically, in certain cities, in countries where equal rights didn’t yet completely exist. Where there were certain issues like civil partnerships that people campaigned about, they they marched about, and that all seemed like it made sense.
“Then after the battle was won, for almost every single right in Western democracies like Britain, Australia and America, Pride marches became Pride weeks, and then Pride months, and we ought to watch out because it might become Pride year quite soon, it’ll be like Chinese years – but every year will be the Year of Pride.” Murray said while appearing on Sky News Australia.
The top selling author author is best known for his books The Madness of Crowds: Gender, Race and Identity and Neo-conservatism: Why we need it. Murray is gay and a supporter of marriage equality, but has been vocal is his opposition to transgender recognition.
During his appearance on The Rita Panahi Show Murray shared his view that the Pride movement has lost it’s way.
“I think the whole thing has become long ago an unholy alliance between the weird people who remain on the barricades on gay rights issues in the west, and basically a bit weird, because they don’t do anything about gay rights in counties where if you’re gay you have no rights. They decided also, having won the battle on the gay stuff, they decided, it’s sort of a really progressive thing to campaign for double mastectomies for girls who think they might be trans and so on.
“These weird people have made an unholy alliance with corporate ‘wokery’. Corporations who just think if they just fly the rainbow flag and talk about how incredibly inclusive they are, we will ignore anything about them. All sorts of banks that have mucked up appallingly in recent years – they just have to fly the old rainbow flag and they’re backed in safe and covered in glory.
All sorts of company’s do this, it’s an alliance between people who don’t have jobs and people who want to cover over the fact that they are doing other things that maybe aren’t so great.” Murray said.
Murray singled out FIFA as an organisation that he saw as having double standards when it came to supporting LGBT rights.
“If you were that keen on gay pride you might not hold the World Cup in a country where being gay is still illegally for the citizenry.” Murray said noting the upcoming soccer competition due to be held in Qutar.
Pride marches became popular after the 1969 Stonewall Riots occurred in New York City. The following year a march was held in New York and soon the idea of Pride marches spread around the world. In 1999 Bill Clinton became the first US President to officially recognise Pride month via a Presidential Proclamation.
Australia’s first Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras protest march took place in June 1978, it was a violent clash with police that lead to many people being arrested and beaten by police. The event repeated the following year and moved to the warmer month of February in 1981.
Western Australia’s Pride Parade followed on from a political rally held at parliament house in 1989 where people fought for the decriminalisation of homosexuality. The first parade through the streets of Northbridge occurred a year later. Western Australia’s Pride festival and parade have continued to be held in October and November.
OIP Staff
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