Systems of oppression are vast and complicated. The mistreatment of marginalised groups is rooted in the histories of our institutions, in the belief systems of our culture and in the most subtle exchanges of our everyday relationships. It can be easy to feel hopeless, like there is nothing we can do to resist such entrenched forms of hatred and harm. This is especially true of international human rights issues, where unimaginable horrors can take place outside of our immediate reach. 

But if we look at the history of social changemaking we can see that we are anything but helpless. We have incredible power to not only make our society a more equal and fair place for all marginalised communities, but our world a place where everyone is free to live and love without prejudice and hate. Together we can create a planet free of all forms of violence, from hate speech and hate crimes to colonialism and genocide. However, just as the mechanisms of oppression are multifaceted, so too are the tactics of liberation. 

Historic structures of violence and oppression are not maintained accidentally. They are carefully organised, managed and justified until they are so commonplace as to go unnoticed. As such, our resistance must also be thoughtfully organised, tackling social issues from multiple angles through the effective use of our communities’ varying assets and resources. It is not enough to take a single approach to changemaking, we must be more strategic if we are to achieve our aims of social and global intersectional liberation. 

Pride is a protest. And it is not one that has ever taken a single-tiered approach to social changemaking. Pride is a global social movement for intersectional queer liberation, and, like any successful social movement, it relies on multiple tactics to achieve its aims. According to Bill Moyer, an activist who worked alongside Dr. Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and whose work is used around the world to inform activists of best practices in resistance, there are four different types of activists that are necessary in order for a social movement to create meaningful change:

1. The Citizen 

In the face of rising transphobia and hate in the UK, the citizen plays an important part of the Pride movement by advocating for better values, giving legitimacy to the values of the movement and in turn reducing the potential to discredit the movement. This is a form of activism that focuses on what we do want, creating a better world by insisting on its qualities. 

For example, the citizen may celebrate Pride by participating in the Manchester Pride Festival and partying as protest. It is a way to publicly proclaim how great it is to be queer and/or support queer communities. It is a way of making clear that there is no shame in being LGBTQ+ and that the world is a better place when it celebrates diverse communities. The citizen acts as a role model for the world we all hope to live in one day. 

2. The Rebel

If you think about an activist, the rebel is probably what you would think of. While the citizen points to what we do want, the rebel points to what we don’t. The rebel’s job is to make clear what we will not stand for, what our movement finds unacceptable and what changes are needed to bring about liberation. This is a form of activism that is disruptive, forcing political issues onto the agenda to demand systemic change. 

For example, the rebel may celebrate Pride by marching in the Parade to protest for LGBTQ+ rights. Alternatively, the rebel may contribute to the Pride movement by protesting against corporate organisations. This is an effective means of putting pressure on corporates to change their current business models and policies. We stand by, facilitate and champion our communities right to protest.

3. The Change Agent

The third type of activist needed for a social movement to be a success is the change agent, who delivers campaigns to involve their communities in addressing social issues. Campaigns can vary in size and reach, from a small social media campaign that seeks to educate the local population to a large-scale initiative to raise funds for a specific cause. Campaigns are a great way of getting large groups of people to not only better understand social issues, but to participate in social action. 

For example, the change agent may celebrate Pride by getting involved in Manchester Pride’s I Choose Kindness campaign to fight anti-LGBTQ+ hate crimes. The change agent may also contribute to the Pride movement with petitions or events to demand for intersectional liberation. This kind of campaign work is fundamental for pressuring all businesses and organisations with ensuring their international practices meet our local human rights standards. 

4. The Reformer 

The final type of activist needed for any social movement to achieve its aims is the reformer, those who sit behind closed doors and have difficult conversations in order to change policies and practices. An often thankless and unseen role, the reformer’s job is to use the influence that they have to lobby for structural change from the inside. Rather than burning bridges, the reformer’s job is to cross bridges in order to rebuild them. The reformer brings the needs of their communities in their movement to the table and leverages their assets to shift practices and improve policies. 

For example, the reformer may celebrate Pride by having an open dialogue with key stakeholders to challenge systemic oppression and with a seat at the table to influence change in some of the world's biggest organisations.

Conclusion

One of the most important things to recognise about the above list is that, historically, most people feel that one form of activism is much more effective than any other. For example, if you are more inclined to be a rebel, it is likely that you will feel that reformers are ineffective, and vice versa. But all four approaches are needed in order for any social movement to successfully achieve its aims. 

If the Pride movement is to achieve intersectional systemic liberation on a global scale then we must learn to work together. Pride is a social movement, not just for LGBTQ+ rights in a broad, general sense, but rather to resolve specific systemic issues. For example, the first Pride in the West, which drew off the Stonewall Riots, fought to tackle issues such as police brutality, anti-trans laws and a lack of safe queer spaces. In Manchester, Pride was born out of fundraising efforts to support HIV+ communities and later to bring economic growth for local LGBTQ+ businesses and spaces. Pride continues to come from our diverse communities, addressing the specific forms of systemic oppression that maintain our marginalisation. 

Today, there are many issues that the Pride movement is working to resolve, both on a local and global scale. By working together, drawing off our different strengths and approaches to activism we can bring about an end to hate and inequality.