Is it important to celebrate Pride? What does Pride mean to people from different places around the world? These were just a few of the questions we tried to think about during this year’s Trondheim Pride with Amnesty International.
qLit was invited to speak on a panel “Criminalized Love: LGBTQ+ Rights Under Threat” hosted by Amnesty International Midt Norge. There were also two other guests from Turkey invited to participate in Trondheim Pride: Mesut, a lawyer, and Baris, a student.
The discussion focused on the situations in Hungary, the United States, and Turkey. What is common in all places is that we cannot take Pride for granted. Our shared experiences showed that in all our countries the public discourse has created a tense environment for LGBTQ+ people. Sadly, in Hungary, the United States, and Turkey, LGBTQ+ people do not have the same rights or protections as others in society. So, marching in a Pride parade or, as our Turkish friends reminded us, even walking to the grocery store are acts of resistance. They are expressions of our identity and our right to be who we are in our homelands, not just in our homes.
Amnesty International Midt Norge gave us the chance to share our stories and Trondheim Pride gave us the freedom to rewrite them. In addition to taking part in the panel, Amy, Baris, and Mesut had the pleasure of spending a few days together exploring events. We played song bingo, sang karaoke, and danced our way through the streets for the Pride parade. As Amy saw, these few days helped us rediscover the joy of Pride and the freedom of expressing yourself without fear.
As Mesut shared:
“Participating in Trondheim Pride was a very special experience for me. In Turkey, my previous Pride experiences were always filled with tension and the constant fear of arrests. This time, for the first time in my life, I was able to see a Pride that was joyful, vibrant, and genuinely celebratory.
At the beginning of the march, I still carried that familiar anxiety, scanning my surroundings and waiting for something to go wrong. It took me a while to realize that nothing would happen here, and only then could I truly enjoy the moment.
What struck me the most was the diversity and solidarity I witnessed. Seeing people from different political backgrounds come together just for Pride was deeply moving. The fact that people come from other cities to support the event showed me the strength of this solidarity. And feeling the genuine interest and support for the struggles we face in Turkey reminded me that our fight is still very much alive, and very powerful.”
The words of the Turkish activist reminded us of how it felt when we came to Trondheim the first time. Coming from Hungary and Pride events which were filled with fear, anxiety, and division, we had our first taste of how liberating Pride can feel.
Let’s remember to celebrate Pride together, even if the march is just taking the first step out your front door. As Baris reminded us, every step we take as our authentic selves is something to be proud of.
