Special Issue: The Sounds of Pride
overheard at the Queer March NYC'23
⚠️Warning - please reduce your device’s volume a tad before pressing play.
Hi!
In today’s newsletter, I share sounds (slogans, chants, and whispers) heard at the Queer Liberation March in NYC.
Last month was Pride month to celebrate and spotlight queerness. However, if I may be allowed to be rather cliché for a second — every day is a day to celebrate and spotlight queerness.
I am visiting New York for the summer. I landed past midnight on June 24. On June 25, I went to the Queer Liberation March in New York city.
Picture credit - Alex Remnick (they/them)
Hey, did you know that I am bisexual? Well, now you do. I “came out” in 2018, but I suspect that the people around me had known for longer.
The Queer Liberation March was organized in direct opposition to the corporate and capitalist rainbow washing the month of Pride has recently been subjected to. It’s quite hard to capture rainbow washing in a few words and queer or not, I am no expert on the matter. So, I refer you to this article from Fair Planet ↙️.
Note - all rainbow-related imagery used here was created on Canva and is in the spirit of sarcasm. Also, I like rainbows.
🌈 The Sounds of Pride
Here are the chants we belted at the Queer Liberation March:
We’re here. We’re queer. We didn’t just disappear.
Stonewall was a riot. We will not be quiet.
What do we want? Trans rights. When do we want them? Now.
My body. My choice. Our bodies. Our choice.
Healthcare is a human right. If we don’t get it, we will fight.
Not the Courts, not the State. People will decide our fate.
Also overheard:
The sounds of tambourines.
The music of queer party buses.
The conversations about personal gay agendas.
The exchanges of coming out stories.
The silent sobs of chosen families.
I carry these sounds in my heart every day since. No other words necessary. I leave these sounds with you now.
With insurmountable joy,
Shreya
Credits:
AR and CL for taking me to the March. You’re spectacular.
SR for proof-reading this to make sure I don’t sound like an arse.
Petee’s Cafe for providing the caffeine for this issue.
A post-credit scene for those who stuck around:
Thank you for reading!