Loud & Proud

As liberal nations across the globe bask in the rainbow glow of Pride month, conservative governments are still forcing queer people into the shadows. But in the face of adversity and oppression, the live music scenes in nations like Palestine, Poland and Turkey have proved to be the antithesis of the human rights wars waging outside of them. Here, promoters, festivals, and queer artists from these countries tell Lisa Henderson what compels them to risk their lives to perform, why live music is the most powerful activism tool of all, and how they overcome challenges that professionals in liberal countries couldn’t even imagine.

Polish festival Pol’and’Rock prides itself on creating a refuge for queer people

© Marcin Michon P alestinian artist Bashar Murad is used to risking his life to perform. As a queer Arab and a resident of occupied East Jerusalem, Murad has learned to live with oppression and the threat of violence, both onstage and on his doorstep. Neither, however, has deterred him from openly addressing loaded issues such as the Israeli Occupation and LGBTIQ+ rights in the Middle

East. “But the more vocal I become about these issues, the greater the danger is,” he tells IQ.

In 2019, Murad took one of his most daring steps when he performed in a wedding dress at an event in Ramallah, a Palestinian city located in the central West Bank of Israel. While the

West Bank’s biggest draw for promoters is that it’s the only place where Palestinians from both sides of the wall can meet, Murad says that the mixed demographic is also where the danger lies.

“Probably the biggest risk is if someone in the audience doesn’t like what I’m doing. Audience members could be from anywhere, from all over Thousands of the country. There are different kinds of mentalprofessionals read ities, people who are extremely open-minded but IQ every day. Make also people who are uneducated and attached to sure you get the the traditions and the customs that we are taught whole picture… Magazine 37 SUBSCRIBE HERE

Here is my photo [below] from Istanbul Pride in 2014, where the attendance was over 100,000. And why is this my favourite memory from a Pride event? Well, because sadly we haven’t been able to do our Pride March since then, which I guess makes this my finest Pride moment.

I had been to other Pride marches in Istanbul before 2014, but that year was the last... for now. I am smiling because the victory, sooner or later, will be ours, so please let's not give up on having hopes for a brighter, colourful and equal future. Love is Love. Buğra Davaslıgil | Charmenko

My favourite memory of pride is the same every year. Being with my chosen family. Dan Brown | Birmingham Pride

Just being with my daughter and feeling proud! Sharon Richardson | K2 AGENCY

Wrangling a load of free tickets to see Britney at Brighton Pride in 2018 at the eleventh hour. Shout-out to the nice bloke from Brighton & Hove bus drivers’ parade who spared us his complimentary passes! I’m a slave 4U. Lisa Henderson | IQ Magazine I had an incredible experience helping out with the arrangements of the World Pride Parade 2000 in Rome, which was backed by the Vatican. After a whole year of preparation, we managed to go ahead on 8 July 2000, and people came from all over the world to attend. According to the local authorities, Rome was invaded by over 1 million people and the march was a great success.

We had a final concert with Grace Jones, Gloria Gaynor, Marc Almond and Geri Halliwell, and Geri wanted to ride a white horse on stage – not a very common request from an artist. But we finally managed to find an incredible, huge, white horse from a circus and finally Geri got on stage riding that beauty. Fabrizio Pompeo | Radar Concerti

My very first gay pride event that I part took in was very long ago in Santa Monica, California, about 25 years ago. This is when LGBT was not as mainstream in the US.

However, the event was called Gay Parade in LA and it was indeed colourful with a lot of cars and excited people everywhere celebrating freedom.

I was walking with a female friend of mine and I heard one of the guys in the street asking what I was doing with a girl when I looked better than her... lol. I didn’t understand what he meant but I did take it as a compliment being beautiful as a boy or a girl or a man or a woman! Bottom line and the moral of the story is that God creates all of us beautiful, just the way we all are! Tommy Jinho Yoon | International Creative Agency

My favourite Pride moment dates to June 2016, the day of the Pulse Nightclub shooting. We were producing an event for LA Pride on Sunday, 12 June, and we had to decide whether to cancel the event because of threats made against LA Pride. We decided that cancelling would have been to surrender to hate. Instead, we decided to

Buğra at Istanbul Pride in 2014 Dan and his Pride family

Zoe and friends enjoying UTA’s inaugural NYC Pride in 2019

Steven and fellow protestors party at the socially distanced London Trans Pride 2021

Lisa and friends on their way to an unexpected Britney experience

Jim delivers the message at LA Pride in 2016 go forward with the event and “never stop” our fight for equality in all things. This photo, taken by DJ Casey Alva at the event, encapsulates that feeling perfectly. Jim Murphy | See Tickets – North America

Pride is a protest first and party second. People have been ostracised, jailed, and even killed so LGBTQIA+ people like me can enjoy the freedoms we have today, even though many around the world still cannot. The social-distanced London Trans Pride 2021 was exactly this. The pandemic meant there was no party so the focus was entirely on the political. It felt truly important, it felt like home. Steven Braines | HE.SHE.THEY.

I cannot pick a favourite Pride memory – there are far too many! But back in 2019, I was able to help organise UTA Proud’s first ever NYC Pride gathering at Julius’ Bar, after which we went to Thousands of a rally honouring the 50th anniversary of the professionals read Stonewall Protests. The entire day was such a fun, IQ every day. Make empowering and unforgettable experience. Zoe Williamson | UTA sure you get the whole picture… Magazine 45 SUBSCRIBE HERE