Pride events allow individuals to celebrate and support the LGBTQ community, advocate for LGBTQ rights, and reflect on the advancement of LGBTQ rights. The LGBTQ community and LGBTQ topics are often more visible during this time. The threat environment for those attending pride events varies by location, depending on the country’s LGBTQ-related laws and social acceptance of the LGBTQ community. Before attending any events, in either new or familiar locations, participants should familiarize themselves with the local culture and rhetoric surrounding LGBTQ topics and take proactive approaches to anticipate and mitigate threats.
Overall Pride Event Safety
The levels and types of threats posed to the LGBTQ community and any celebratory pride events are contingent on the characteristics of the event’s location, specifically the country’s legal environment pertaining to and social acceptance of LGBTQ individuals. Larger cities are generally more liberal and demographically varied, which often means LGBTQ individuals are more widely accepted. However, higher-profile events are more likely to attract counter-protestors or other activist movements. Conversely, rural locations tend to be rooted in traditional, religious, and conservative values, which can cause these communities to be less accepting of the LGBTQ community.
Members of the LGBTQ community may view pride events and parades as largely low-threat or safe, as the events are specifically dedicated to the community. However, despite numerous cultural and legislative shifts happening around the world, the LGBTQ community still faces discrimination in most locations. Holding pride events does not necessarily indicate that a society harbors widespread positive attitudes toward or acceptance of the LGBTQ community.
While members of the LGBTQ community see Pride as an opportunity to celebrate or seek to influence LGBTQ equality, opponents may seek to politicize or target the events negatively. Protesters and anti-LGBTQ groups or individuals have used known LGBTQ-friendly places, such as LGBTQ nightclubs or pride events, to target the community in locations throughout the world.
Pride Events Threat Levels Vary Widely by Region
Pride parades are well established in Western Europe and some areas of the Americas and, therefore, are generally well attended and likely to pose a lower threat to the LGBTQ community. However, the threat of activists and protestors attempting to disrupt pride celebrations exists worldwide. In these lower-threat locations, many cities respond to incidents of violence against the LGBTQ community by providing extra security measures and increasing security officers’ presence.
Anti-LGBTQ activists in less accepting regions, such as Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Middle East North Africa (MENA), or Sub-Saharan Africa, may be more likely to attempt to disrupt pride events as they have in the past. In these lower acceptance environments, the LGBTQ community may face discrimination or harassment, both in general and at pride events.
Aside from pride events, the LGBTQ community could face increased threats during Pride month because of the overall heightened awareness of LGBTQ topics. Violent crimes of opportunity or harassment against LGBTQ individuals, due to the increased awareness, could increase in areas with low and mixed tolerance. Negative sentiment in response to individuals or businesses supporting the LGBTQ community also cannot be ruled out.
LGBTQ Community and Law Enforcement
In some countries, the history between the LGBTQ community and the police is strained, and police involvement in pride events can be a controversial subject within the LGBTQ community. Civil unrest campaigns against police brutality and perceived mistreatment of minority populations are likely to increase any existing strains between the LGBTQ community and the police, as well as the overall threat environment for pride events.
Although this is primarily true for the US, other countries such as Australia, France, Germany, Mexico, and the UK also experienced protests against police brutality, some of which resulted in clashes between protesters and the police. Pride parades began in the US in 1970 to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Riots when the New York City police raided an LGBTQ bar, the Stonewall Inn, and allegedly assaulted members of the LGBTQ community.
Risk Mitigation Strategies for Pride Events
Consider the following risk mitigation strategies for navigating pride events this upcoming Pride month:
- Follow all official instructions.
- Maintain situational awareness.
- If you are in a dense crowd and you do not see any crowd control measures, consider getting out. If you feel the crowd begin to sway, wait until it stops moving and navigate your way to safety. If you are faced with a violent or potentially violent situation, immediately seek shelter in upscale hotels or large public buildings, such as libraries, theaters, hospitals, or museums. Report all suspicious persons or packages to the authorities immediately.
- Do not accept drinks, cigarettes, or chewing gum from strangers, as reports have shown that some assailants taint these products with drugs.
- If celebrating abroad and police or other authorities harass you, immediately contact your diplomatic mission.
- Understand local expressions and words that may indicate a derogatory view of LGBTQ individuals.
- Take extreme caution if engaging others in conversations about sexuality or LGBTQ issues. Only do so with well-vetted acquaintances in safe locations. In countries that have conservative societies, dress, and act in accordance with social norms.
- If you are not familiar with the level of social acceptance of a location, do not use the internet or online apps to meet members of the LGBTQ community, as these kinds of apps are banned in some countries, and local nationals may use these platforms to target LGBTQ individuals.
- Be mindful of cultural bias when assessing acceptance. Do not assume to understand mannerisms, unless you are familiar with the culture; for example, handholding between men is common in many locations and meant as a gesture of friendship, not sexual attraction. Other behaviors that may appear to be romantically intimate may in fact be platonic.
Note: Visitors to and expatriates living in a country are bound by the laws of that country. An individual’s home country’s government is unable to release an individual from incarceration in a foreign country. Home country consulates can only give limited assistance to their citizens who are imprisoned. In some countries, the burden of proof rests on the accused, not the prosecutor.
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