The Sint Maarten/Saint-Martin Alliance for Equality (SAFE SXM) will hold the first ever LGBTQI Pride Celebration in Great Bay (Philipsburg) on Saturday, 29 June.
The event will begin with a concentration at Walter Plantz Square at 5PM, followed by a flamboyant and festive march along the Boardwalk and ending at Toloula Mango’s
In many places around the world Pride is celebrated annually in June with parades, awareness campaigns and other events to honour those who have fought for the acquired rights of LGBTIQ people, and to celebrate and affirm the beauty and validity of sexual diversity. SAFE partners, organised as an Association in the French Collectivité and as a Foundation in the Dutch territory, will join forces on 29 June to visibilise the LGBTIQ community on our beautiful island.
Queer is Beautiful – Queer is Caribbean
In their ignorance, some people believe that Pride and the struggle for Gay rights is American and/or European. This is false. Although Pride was first held in New York City as a way to commemorate the Stone Wall rebellion of 1969, those who initiated the struggle were Transwomen of Colour, many of whom were Caribbean people. “Gay is Good” was a slogan that was adopted by the LGBTIQ rights movement, and that was inspired by the “Black is Beautiful” cultural movement of the 1960s. Pride is celebrated throughout the Caribbean with political marches, awareness campaigns and cultural events such as Boquerón Pride, San Juan Pride, Orgullo de Santo Domingo, St. Lucia and Port of Spain, Trinidad. With SXM Pride, SAFE SXM also hopes to remind the general public that LGBTQI rights are human rights and our sexuality is authentically Caribbean.