on June the 28th 1970 thousands of LGBT people took to the streets of New York in what is widely recognized as the first Pride march this occurred one year after the stonewall uprising and resembled more of a protest than a parade. it is also interesting to recognize that this was actually a Liberation march not a Pride parade. today overly commercialized Pride parades are common in almost every major city in the western capitalist world complete with thuggish security guards who ruthlessly enforce the gay capitalist hegemony. the recent pride parade in Auckland was an overly commercialized gay capitalist affair with little consideration given to less well off LGBT people who still face workplace discrimination harassment on the streets and lack of access to housing. security personal preset at the parade appeared to be private contractors who were not averse to assaulting members of the public I personally saw two instances of parade security assaulting members of the public and at one stage a security person forced a Transwoman into the gutter where her shoe got caught in a storm-drain and she fell on her face.
Personally i don't think that such commercialism has much to offer LGBT people who still struggle from oppression both in public and in the workplace. I feel that a grassroots LGBT liberation movement would be a viable step towards true liberation for all LGBT people.
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