I came across this image recently on the internet when I was reading an article from Metrosource called the “Ultimate guide to NYC pride 2018. I was researching pride parades on the east coast because as a member of the LGBTQ+ community I think it would be something worth going to. The acronym LGBTQ+ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning. These pride parades started in 1970, pride and protest marches were held in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, and San Francisco around the first anniversary of Stonewall. The Stonewall riots were a series of spontaneous demonstrations by members of the gay community in response to a police raid that began in the early morning hours of June 28th, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn. Most pride events occur annually some taking place in June to commemorate the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York City which was the most pivotal moment in the modern LGBTQ social movements. The United States of America has come a very far way when it comes to how this community used to be treat members of this community. Photographer Stanley Stellar recalls a time where it was only the “rare neighborhood where gay people could go and meet in public, and pride parades operated at a neighborhood level size”. At this time at the small social gatherings, it was only the very brave souls who held signs and inspired all other viewers. Stellar is still alive and was able to witness the July’s World Parade event in New York City as it was the largest LGBTQ+ celebration in history with an estimated five million people, a very drastic change from what Stellar once saw. As we can see these parades seek to create community and honor the history of the movement.
When it comes to these pride parades, they are a promotion of the self-affirmation, dignity, equality, and increased visibility of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people as a social group. This community’s goal is to is to have their members feel at ease and comfortable in their own skin, they have pride in the community and want to make sure that is known which is something I love, they want to try and eliminate shame and social stigma that comes with the title. July, which is also known as pride month is considered the best and brightest month of the year. Pride is defined as a feeling of deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from one’s own achievement’s, the achievements of those with whom one is closely associated, or from qualities or possessions that are widely admired. At these parades it is very clear that these attendees have pride in what they are marching for as you will see a sea of rainbow flags, temporary rainbow flag tattoos, colorful garb, multicolored everything and of course tons of multicolored glitter. This community has come a very long way over the past several decades, as of 2015 same sex marriage became legalized in the United States which is a huge milestone for every single member. These parades are a place where anyone can go, many attendees do not fall into the LGBTQ+ community but go there to support their friends and family.
When it comes time to talking about the LGBTQ+ community the first thing that comes to many people’s minds is the flag. The flag was created by Gilbert Baker and was designed in 1978. These flags are not only symbolic to everyone that falls into this community but also to the day of the parade where you will see a swarm on millions of these flags marching down the street. Now you may be wondering, why is their flag a rainbow and what do all those colors even represent. The flag represents the diversity of gays and lesbians around the world. The original flag consisted of eight solid stripped colors; the eight colors all meant something different. Pink stood for sexuality, red stood for life, orange was for healing, yellow for the sun, green for nature, turquoise for art, indigo for harmony and violet for spirt. As you can tell Baker put much thought into this flag as she was an American artist and gay rights activist who wanted to create something that everyone can have pride in flying.
As a member of this community, it was never easy, as one can assume. I am very shy at first, one that does not speak unless spoken to. There were of course many indicators that I was someone who fits into this group prior to when I actually realized. I was a junior in highs school when it kind of all came together and I came to the conclusion that I was not like the other girls in my grade. I was very sporty, enjoyed watching sports and going out and playing sports, I was never a fan of going to the mall and shopping like all my other friends were or even fantasizing over boys in our class. I felt as though I was leading a double life, one where I had to pretend, I liked going to the mall and gossiping about boys. It was not up until college that I began to feel more comfortable with myself and who I am as a person, at this point in my life I had become friends with other people who are members of this community, everyone at school was more open and that is something that I loved when it came to accepting who I am. Here is where I realized that it is okay to be yourself and really saw how different everyone was from one another. I am very thankful that my friends and family have been so excepting with the whole situation and I can proudly say I have not personally been victimized or received backlash because of who I am.
When we received this prompted, I struggled picking what topic I wanted to talk about but once I saw this one “how an image or aspect has affected you personally” I knew exactly what to talk about. A couple of days prior I was doing some research on the internet as I talked about earlier. When I was reading the article and came across this picture, I felt moved I vividly recall how I felt when seeing this photo for the first time. The first thing I notice when looking at this picture was not only the incredible amount of people that were apparent in this picture but also all the different types of people that we can see. We see people of all races, body sizes and gender identities here marching through the streets of New York City. Most importantly when I look at this picture, I see hope. Hope for the future and my children’s future, every single individual here is smiling, they are making a change and standing up for what they are and that is something that we need in the future lives of America. These people are not stopping, they are only moving forward and demanding equality for every single member of this community. Something that we cannot see through the picture is how ecstatic the crowd is and how proud they are to be marching for these rights. Although we cannot hear them, but we can see through the detail of their faces and the way their hands are in the air that they are screaming loud and proud for this march.
We all know the saying a picture is worth a thousand words and this picture is definitely one that fits into that saying. We can see that there is a lot going on in this photo, but I just want to focus on three aspects of this picture. First being the man in blue right in the center of the picture. When taking your first glance at this photo he is you will see first. It seems to look like he is the one that is leading the crowd, his hands are spread wide, and he is walking like he owns the whole place. Not only that but his shirt says, “group leader”. With millions of people behind him you are still able to see that he is the one your eyes go directly too. The next aspect I wanted to focus on is the number of flags that are present in this single photo. We can see well over twenty flags being flown high with a lot of pride in the marcher’s hands. These flags are symbolic well beyond just the rainbow they hold the power of hope for change. The last aspect that I wanted to touch upon is what the people in the picture were wearing. Not one person that we can see is wearing the same thing as another. We see both males and females wearing short shorts, long shorts and heals. Something different about that is that they are going against social norms, we see men who are wearing heels which is something that we do not see on an everyday basis. Along with the many rainbow flags that we see flying in the air we also see members wearing rainbow socks and shirts. This picture does a great job capturing the fact that this community is accepting to all no matter their body shape, sexual identity or orientation which is something that is incredible about this group.
This picture represents an image from a photo journal making it a photojournalism photo as it is an art or practice of communicating news by photographs. The difference between a photojournalist and a photographer is that a photojournalist has a better understanding of creating journalistic outputs. As previously mentioned, this photograph was released into the Metrosource in May of 2018. When it comes to the photo itself, we are able to see that the photo radiates a very bright vibe. With that being said it is not a dark image. The sky is light, the colors people are wearing are bright and you are able to see joy on everyone’s faces. As for the use of frame it is taken how we talk about with the rule of thirds this image is focused on the man in blue right in the middle and then everything else is quickly seen right after. Something interesting about this photo is that the background off into the distance is very bright, almost so bright to the point where you are unable to see anything. This photo is also very symmetric as we see a crowd of people that takes up the whole frame horizontally with the buildings in the back on both sides. Lastly, this photo radiates a positive tone as we can see with everyone’s expressions as they make their way down the street, the colors are bight and vibrant as well as the sun is helping them as it is coming down shining on all of their beautiful faces.
The reason I decided to use this photo for the prompt was because of how much it means to me. As a member of a community that has struggled so much over the past several decades is a hard concept to grasp unless you are a part of it. For me to see this image was very empowering because it reminds me that there is hope. Hope that someday we will not be discriminated against, hope that one day people like me will not be bullied for who they are and hope that my very own children can grow up in this world and be proud of who they are and the women who raised them. I will never forget this image because of what it does for my community and how it makes me feel every time I see it. Taking photos has always been a passion of mine and someday I hope to attend a pride parade for myself. Here I hope to take pictures just like this very one so like this picture did to empower me I hope to do it for other younger members of the community myself.
Work Cited:
Ashley Moor May 28, 2. (2020, May 28). The secret meanings of the colors on the pride flag. Retrieved March 26, 2021, from https://bestlifeonline.com/pride-flags-colors-meaning/
Connecticut clearinghouse. (n.d.). Retrieved March 26, 2021, from https://www.ctclearinghouse.org/topics/lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgendered-and-questioning-lgbtq-individuals/
Haynes, S. (2020, June 26). What’s CHANGED-AND What Hasn’t-in 50 years of pride parades. Retrieved March 26, 2021, from https://time.com/5858086/pride-parades-history/
History.com Editors. (2017, May 31). Stonewall riots. Retrieved March 26, 2021, from https://www.history.com/topics/gay-rights/the-stonewall-riots
Longman, M. (n.d.). This is what pride parades around the world look like. Retrieved March 26, 2021, from https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2019/06/232848/pride-parades-around-the-world-best-places
Pride. (n.d.). Retrieved March 26, 2021, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pride
Prisco, J. (2019, June 07). A colorful history of the rainbow flag. Retrieved March 26, 2021, from https://www.cnn.com/style/article/pride-rainbow-flag-design-history/index.html
Venzin, M. (2018, November 16). The ultimate guide to NYC Pride 2018. Retrieved March 26, 2021, from https://metrosource.com/ultimate-guide-nyc-pride-2018/