Elton John, Frank Ocean, & Ian McKellen on PRIDE Under Lockdown

LAS VEGAS, NV — (06-22-20) — An elite group of celebrities, including Elton John, Frank Ocean, and Ian McKellen, collaborated on an article for the Guardian on Monday, about celebrating Pride Month under the Covid-19 lockdown.

In the article entitled “This year, we need Pride’s spirit of solidarity and inclusion more than ever“, talks about how the coronavirus pandemic “has changed” this year’s Pride Celebration. They talk about how normall they would be celebrating PRIDE at large rallies and marches. “The coronavirus pandemic has intensified the discrimination and prejudice against LGBTQ+ people.” “It’s time to act,” they wrote.

“Pride events are either happening online or not at all, but we need their spirit of solidarity, inclusion and acceptance all the same. This is exactly the time to up the ante,” said the group, adding, “The pandemic has intensified previous systemic vulnerabilities, with dire, possibly long-term social and economic consequences for minorities.”

“And beyond the pandemic, during this moment when the world is demanding change, we must fight for a future where people of all racial and ethnic origins, sexual orientations and gender identities have the opportunity to live free from discrimination, injustice and mistreatment of all forms,” the article continued.

They went on to acknowledge the issues that members of the LGBTQ community have been facing under lockdown, before concluding, “To all those commemorating Global Pride this 27 June, we stand with you. To everyone else, we say: we can all do our part simply by keeping in mind that we are who we are. Nobody chooses how and where they are born, and nobody has the right to prejudge and to discriminate. Diversity is a strength, let’s celebrate it.”

The article was published under the bylines of John, Ocean, and McKellen, along with filmmaker David Furnish, former tennis players Billie Jean King and Ilana Kloss, singer Skin, British Vogue Editor-in-Chief Edward Enninful, and European Commissioner for Equality Helena Dalli.

Article by: Paul Goldberg, Staff Writer

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