With LGBT Pride month under way in many countries around the world, the corporate-sponsored celebrations that have characterized the festival in recent years are likely to give way to something more reminiscent of the original Pride, which followed the 1969 Stonewall uprising in New York City.
This change should come as no surprise amid a global escalation of threats to LGBT rights and the retreat in corporate engagement on LGBT causes. While many activists and community members may welcome this return to the political urgency of Pride’s roots, those outside the LGBT community should also take note. In many cases, the assault on LGBT rights is directly linked to the broader erosion of fundamental norms of liberal democracy, providing compelling evidence that such policies serve as warnings of accelerating democratic backsliding.
Where LGBT rights are under fresh attack, so is democracy
From the US to Hungary, from Iraq to Ghana, new erosions of minority rights are a warning of democratic backsliding. To fight back this Pride month, new alliances must be formed, says Ari Shaw.
The World Today
Published 9 June 2025 — 4 minute READ
Image — Protestors in Budapest take part in a demonstration against Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's clampdown on LGBTQ rights and the recently adopted bill banning Pride parades. Photo: Attila Kisbenedek/ AFP via Getty Images.
