This is only my second blog entry and already I encounter a “Sinnkrise,” something that is best described as “crisis of meaning” or “crisis of identity.” As you know my goal here was to add more of a European perspective to the blog, showing similarities and differences between the U.S. and European LGBT communications. Now I find myself trapped in the definition of “European.” Can a German actually be speaking on behalf of Europe or would it even be arrogant to pretend just that? After all, most Europeans love to think in stereotypes about their neighbors; Germans are free of humor but efficient, French are dingy but have great food, and Italians are lazy but are great lovers… the list is endless.
While thinking about this dilemma it came to my mind that despite this general pattern maybe there is something like a Pan-European LGBT community. This would be a community which is more or less free from living along the lines of stereotypes. It would face similar challenges in the various countries and share a common set of values.
I know it’s only March and it seems a little early to talk about Pride already. But in this context, there is hardly anything better to symbolize the unity of the European LGBT community. Orgullo, the Spanish Pride in Madrid, is something I enjoy every year and the same holds true for Pride in London. At the same time, I haven’t been to Pride in any other German city other than Frankfurt so far. Not even to Cologne and that one is huge. I feel equally connected to the people no matter which country, be it the U.K., Spain or Germany.
This feeling of mutual acceptance was institutionalized in 1992, when the EuroPride was established in London. It was thought of as a platform for the LGBT community to exchange and discuss ideas and visions. Moreover, it was a great instrument to give those members of the LGBT community a voice in whose countries they didn’t enjoy their lives as they pleased to. Thus, the EuroPride was even more a platform to communicate universal beliefs and human rights than the national prides could ever be.
This year will actually be a special year for the EuroPride. The voice of equal and human rights will not come from a place with a long LGBT tradition. This year the voice will move to a place where the LGBT community still suffers from repression by society and politics – Warsaw, Poland. It’s a brave move to hold EuroPride in a city where in previous years, the then mayor and now president of Poland, Lech Kaczynski, tried to outlaw Pride and ordered police to break up the march. It was only with the help of foreign visitors and international media that the Polish Equality Foundation, which runs Warsaw Pride, was able to succeed in putting on a Pride event each year despite the pressure.
So EuroPride 2010 has the potential to achieve three things:
- Be a signal to East Europe that LGBT rights are human rights. Create a deeper understanding and ease communication between the local LGBT communities and society.
- Create further awareness in Western European countries for the challenges LGBT communities still encounter in East Europe.
- Most importantly, it will help to form a truly European voice that is heard and understood across the continent.
Coming back to my Sinnkrise and the question if there is something like a European LGBT community, I’m still a little concerned whether or not I’ll be able to live up to my own goals. On the one hand there are still so many differences in how LGBT communities are accepted across Europe. Think of Spain, U.K. and the Netherlands with equal marriage and then think of Poland and Russia on the other hand where it’s dangerous to hold hands in public. Given those very different backgrounds, a very different communications approach is essential and needed.
On the other hand, I was reminded of one of my favorite blog entries on Out Front by Ben Finzel, Say What? – Eight Words and Phrases to Avoid in LGBT Communications. It speaks of the universal taboos when communicating with the LGBT community. These eight phrases and words are true for West and East Europe and build the common grounds for a unified European LGBT communication, no matter where you are. The message is the same. It is just the way to get across that is different.
What do you think? Is there something like a European or even global approach to LGBT communications? Or is it more useful to go country by country, society by society?
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There is definitely a shift in approach for EuroPride this year. In a recent interview for Passport Magazine I’ve said:
“EuroPride Warsaw 2010 will be a radical departure for the event. Previous EuroPrides have been hosted by the largest of European pride events such as London, Berlin and Madrid, and the focus has been an old style circuit party. We have seen a significant increase in attendee’s interest in the political implications and effect of pride events and the choice of Warsaw, a city where pride is still relatively small and relatively difficult to stage, reflects this. Next year Rome, a city again where the religious and political situation has made pride not universally-popular, will continue this theme. In 2012 EuroPride will not be staged as London will be hosting the first of a new style WorldPride where the focus will be strongly on European and Commonwealth countries where pride is opposed or impossible.
This move is away from a single weekend of party and towards creating new LGBT destinations and proving both to communities and to cities that not only is there international support but an international LGBT tourism market. it is amazing how city authorities change their view when they see pride as an opportunity and a showcase for them rather than just a nuisance. This is where the sustainable future of pride lies.”
The same focus of approach is happening for WorldPride – the first “new” one of which will be WorldPride 2012 here in London. We have a fantastic platform to shed light on problems around the world.
The two global pride events have become “2.0″ – they are now very much about emerging countries, and those still in crisis, rather than a showcase of the already large pride events that play host.
I do agree with you though that a pan-European approach to communications is as difficult as a global one. One only has to look at the example of gay men’s dating sites (often a useful way for pride events to market) to see massive difference – Germany tends to favour Gay Romeo, the US plays big on Manhunt and the UK is still fairly dominated by Gaydar users.
For me, I believe the approach is a hybrid. We market globally when we want to emphasize a message of unity or size, but locally when we want to get down to specifics.
Colm Howard-Lloyd
Marketing Direct, European Pride Organizers Association