June 2017 issue #10 JUNE_2017_issue_10 | Page 8

Pride Around the World LET’S CELEBRATE! By Michael W. Sasser I f there was a unifying theme for Pride events around the globe this summer, it would be activism. Since the beginning of the movement after Stonewall, of course, activism has been a key driver of Pride celebrations in the United States. As other nations developed more welcoming cultures and public policy, international Prides devel- oped similarly on their own timeline. Still, massive street parties and colorful parades are probably the most recognizable aspects of Pride around the world. This year, however, it appears social con- sciousness abounds. Perhaps in reaction to conservative backlash in the U.S. and Western Europe, such Pride events as that in L.A. are promoting human rights events. In Paris, details for Pride were being withheld until the results of the national election were known. While many in the U.S. fear a