You may think that Planet Pride is not a real place. More like a state of mind? Well, as a proud member of the LGBTIQ+ community, I have attended A LOT of queer events. I am a true citizen of Planet Pride, so I’ve included it here as a separate gallery.
Over the years, I’ve protested, rallied, paraded, mourned, celebrated and more with fellow community members and allies. From the AIDS quilt display in Washington in the 1980’s, to appearing on the nightly news in San Diego around the gay marriage debate, to lots and lots of rallies and parades up and down California, I’ve seen and photographed a lot of LGBTIA events.
Visibility
Visibility for a group of people who deal with ongoing violence, discrimination, and coming out issues is huge. These choices affect our most intimate lives; we one of the few communities whose own family members reject some of us when we do choose to be visible.
I consider myself incredibly fortunate. I have had very supportive parents, a lesbian aunt, and an highly religious aunt who finally opened her heart to. me as I am after 15 years.
Coming out counts! Certainly, the only way the wider world has come to acknowledge our rights, hopes and dreams is through the courageous coming out and visibility of so many pioneers, ordinary people and top-tier celebrities. Without regurgitating the major historical milestones of queer history, our community has come a long, long way.
The struggle continues
The fight, however, is long from over. There are efforts in many states underway to ban drag (a historic and truly uplifting form of performance art), force schools to forcibly out students, and discriminate against transgender people in countless ways. Sadly, some of them have already become law. Meanwhile, it is still illegal in one form or another to be gay in over 70 countries, with punishments ranging from jail time to execution. Most recently, Uganda passed an incredibly draconian new anti-queer law that is bound to have devastating effects on the community there.
This gallery is an updated compilation of my more recent images. As long as the struggle continues, I will be making new ones!
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All photos are copyright Chris Allan 2021 and cannot be used without my written permission. Please contact me for usage rights. Thank you for reading my blog post “Planet Pride.” To learn more about me and my work, please see my About page.