‘The fun you have being what you are’: exploring the role queer people believe Pride plays in two capital cities

Abstract

ABSTRACT There is growing discourse on the post-gay environment era where sexuality is not seen as a dividing factor, causing gay spaces and events such as Pride to lose relevance. This study consequently explored how lesbian, gay, and bisexual (queer) people perceive the role of Pride events in Sydney, Australia, and Johannesburg, South Africa. Using in-depth interviews, the findings indicate queer people still experienced unique struggles; however, prejudice was now disproportionately experienced by queer people of colour, those with disabilities, and trans people. Pride events serve a personal role in helping to affirm queer identities and provide a sense of normality and connection. It helped LGBTQIA+ people more broadly to come out by giving them a sense of community while drawing queer people’s attention to minorities within the LGBTQIA+ communities. Finally, it helped provide the broader community with exposure to queer people while pushing the boundaries of acceptance.