- So you're not part of the LGBTQ+ community,
but you kind of wanna go to Pride this year.
Here are some things that you will need to know.
So it turns out around 25% of people
who go to New York Pride are not LGBTQ+ themselves,
which seemed kind of high when I first heard it,
but if you think about it, there's a tonne of reasons
why people who aren't LGBTQ+ themselves
would wanna go to a Pride event.
One, their partner is LGBTQ+
and they wanna help them celebrate
that part of their identity.
Two, their child is LGBTQ+,
and they want to accompany them to the parade.
Three, their parent is LGBTQ+,
and they want to support them.
Four, their friend is LGBTQ+,
and they want to be there for them.
For real, coming to support people that you care about
is a really wonderful thing,
but there are some things that you should think about
before you go, because it's not about you.
One, do some research.
Look into what Pride is.
Look into the Stonewall riots.
Look into the history of Pride since.
Know why people are doing this in the first place.
Number two, do some more research,
this time about the kinds of people who'll be attending.
Look up different sexualities.
Look up the correct way to ask about someone's pronouns.
Look at the language you should be using.
Basically just get your study on.
Number three, do the study before the parade.
Don't expect people to give you Transgender 101,
or debate you in the middle of this event.
Basically just make sure you aren't
putting yourself out the centre.
Number four, don't treat it as a tourist opportunity.
Don't go up and giggle.
Don't go there as a hen night after party.
Pride is not there for your entertainment.
Pride is there for people to feel completely
and utterly themselves, and that might be something
that you aren't used to seeing.
But again, it's not for you.
And number five kind of goes alongside this,
but maybe ask people's permission
before you just randomly take pictures
of or with them in the street.
It's just kind of common courtesy.
Number six, don't panic if someone hits on you,
but then also conversely, don't have the only reason
why you're going to Pride to be to ogle half naked people
or to try and find someone for you and your partner
to have a threesome with.
Number seven, recognise the privileges that you have.
Do not take up space that LGBTQ+ people could be taking up.
If you're invited into a space, by all means go,
but if it's a ticketed space with a limited availability,
like maybe don't take up that space.
Basically, make sure you're there for a purpose.
People there won't know if you're straight
or sis unless you tell them, but you'll know,
so just make that decision for yourself,
or say some spaces literally won't be for you,
like there's a lot of places that you can go,
but like the picnic for queer people of colour
just isn't one of them.
Number eight, amplify LGBTQ+ voices above your own.
If you're gonna be holding a placard,
hold one with the name, face, quotes, stats
around LGBTQ+ issues rather then just about
how you're an ally.
There will probably be stalls with LGBT charities,
help lines, organisations around them.
Tweet about them.
Talk to your friends about them.
Take the leaflets, engage.
Up on the stage there will probably be speakers.
Hype them up on your social.
This is an opportunity for you to amplify voices
in a very immediate way.
Go for it.
Number nine, there will be protestors.
Whoever you're going with, have a discussion with them
beforehand about how they want you to handle it.
Don't assume that you should go in all guns blazing
or that you should do nothing and not engage.
Talk to the people you're with.
See what they're most comfortable with.
They might be like, join me, I'm gonna start chanting.
Join me in that chant, make as much noise, drown them out.
Or they might be like, I literally can't deal with this.
Just get me past them as soon as possible.
Block me from their view.
Talk to me while we're doing it.
Listen to the people that you're with and see
what they need, because they're gonna be affected by it
in a way that you won't be.
And number 10, that classic quote, if you want
to party today, you need to do the work every day,
or in other words, you can join us in the celebration
when you've joined us in the struggle.
Donate to this Pride event to organisations doing good work.
Make sure that every space that you are in
is a space that's safe for LGBTQ+ people.
Do it all the time, not just once a year,
and continue to listen.
So I hope that was useful.
If you have any more tips and tricks,
or any questions, please leave them in the comments below.
If you'd like to help support me make these videos,
I'm gonna leave a link to my Patreon in the description,
along with the links to all my social media
so you can find me all over the internet,
and until I see you next time, bye.