‘Isn’t it wonderful?’ How the royals have pledged support for the LGBTQ community
Pride flag, dancing in the wind as part of the Platinum Jubilee pageant earlier this year, was certainly cause for celebration for many LGBTQ+ people.
Such a royal recognition of queer culture was not only a nod to 50 years of Pride, but also a moment that marked a shift in the changing relationship between the palace and the LGBTQ+ community.‘It was the first time that we had been included in a Royal parade, and it was amazing to see that acceptance, especially in a celebratory way as part of such a significant occasion’, explain Yasmin Benoit, who works with LGBT charity Stonewall, and describes the People’s Parade as ‘a tribute to the changing culture of the UK’.‘That’s what we kept talking about on the day, how much of a great moment it was and how it never would have been allowed in the past.’Benoit, an openly aromantic-asexual Black woman, ‘never imagined’ that she’d ever be asked to take part in such a momentous occasion, calling the experience ‘an honour’ as she walked alongside pioneering members of the community.‘We waved our progress flags as we went past the Royal Family and thousands of others, broadcast to millions,’ she adds. ‘It’s something we wouldn’t have been able to do if it wasn’t approved by the Queen.’After reigning for 70 years, Queen Elizabeth II has been witness to the changes for the LGBTQ+ community in ways no other ruler has.When she ascended to the throne in 1952, it was a time when homosexuality was still illegal in the UK and remained as such until 1967.
Fast forward to 2022, and LGBTQ+ rights – although with plenty work left still to be done – have advanced in once unimaginable ways.It is customary for the monarch and other Royal Family members to remain ‘politically neutral,’ meaning the.
