“Local aggression, national discrimination, global genocide, we refuse to be afraid. » This is the slogan that will be carried, on Saturday May 4, 2024, by the Poitiers Pride March organized by the LGBTQIA+ 86 collective. A first for the latter created in November 2023 and bringing together several associations including TransMission 86, Aides 86, Les Sœurs de the perpetual indulgence or even the Drag Roommate. “ We wanted to be more inclusive, more representative,” indicates Anaïs, co-treasurer of the collective.
A festive and militant meeting
A first meeting that the Collective wants to be festive but also militant. From 10 a.m., an associative village, based at Place Maréchal-Leclerc in Poitiers, will offer information and prevention stands on the rights of queer people as well as make-up and glitter workshops. “A solidarity wardrobe will also allow the public to bring clothes which will be made available to LGBTQIA people who are often in precarious situations. And artistic performances in particular with Coloc drag and illustrators will liven up the morning. »
At 2:30 p.m., the inauguration speeches will kick off the march from Place Maréchal-Leclerc, for a loop route including Blossac Park. “Minutes of silence will be observed in memory of the Stonewall riots which launched our liberation movement (1), for victims of HIV, as well as for those of attacks. »
The three tanks will then set off around 3 p.m. “We wanted this very accessible march around a very diverse procession so as not to exclude anyone and where everyone feels represented. There will therefore be cycling zones to enhance mobility and quiet spaces for those preferring a less dense atmosphere with, for example, the distribution of earplugs. An emergency stand with Civil Protection will also be present all day. »
Pride march of the LGBTQIA+ collective 86, Saturday May 4, 2024, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Place Maréchal-Leclerc in Poitiers.
(1) On June 28, 1969, a police raid on the Stonewall Inn bar in Greenwich Village in New York, which welcomed homosexuals and transgender people, turned into a riot. Within weeks, neighborhood residents organized themselves into activist groups, setting up places where gays, lesbians and transgender people could meet without fear of arrest.
Pride festival on May 18 in Vouneuil-sous-Biard
Former organizer of the Poitiers Pride March, the Poitou LGBTI center is not part of the LGBTQIA+ 86 Collective, and is therefore not part of the meeting this Saturday, May 4. “This march seems too community-based to usindicates Marianne Souchon, co-president of the center. We imagine a more inclusive, more family-friendly event. This is why we are organizing a Pride Festival, on Saturday May 18, from 11 a.m., at the Rives de Boivre space in Vouneuil-sous-Biard, around an artisan market, arctic activities -en-ciel, dedications from authors including Antoine Idier or even flash-tattoos and food-truckss. » A free show at 8 p.m. will close the evening.
