As we celebrate Pride this month, Billy Porter's words ring louder than ever. We’re part of a creative community that is often lauded for embracing diversity, but if we were to hold up a mirror right now, we’d realise there’s still a way to go.
At WOODS, our mission is clear: harness the power of creativity for good. So we've decided to confront our ignorance and unchecked privilege and educate ourselves about the history of Pride here and around the world. Starting with this blog.
“Equality means more than passing laws. The struggle is really won in the hearts and minds of the community, where it really counts.”
“Equality means more than passing laws. The struggle is really won in the hearts and minds of the community, where it really counts.”
Before the first Gay Pride marches in 1970, the world was a much less colourful place. Homosexuality was misunderstood, stigmatised, and criminalised in many parts of the world.
The 1969 Stonewall Riots in New York were a pivotal turning point, with protestors standing up to police antagonism, sparking a demand for change and marking the beginning of a global fight for gay rights. People were no longer willing to be silenced or marginalised - a cry heard across continents.
“I’m not missing a minute of this. It’s the revolution!”
“I’m not missing a minute of this. It’s the revolution!”
If there’s one enduring symbol of Pride Month, it’s the vibrant, colourful rainbow flag. The iconic flag was created in 1978 by Gilbert Baker, who sought to create a symbol of pride for the gay community. This flag is more than a colourful banner - it's a testament to love, and the radiant diversity of the LGBTQ+ community.
Each colour has a purpose:
"Our job as gay people was to come out, to be visible, to live in the truth, as I say, to get out of the lie. A flag really fit that mission, because that’s a way of proclaiming your visibility or saying, 'This is who I am!'"
"Our job as gay people was to come out, to be visible, to live in the truth, as I say, to get out of the lie. A flag really fit that mission, because that’s a way of proclaiming your visibility or saying, 'This is who I am!'"
New Zealand's own journey towards equality and acceptance has been long and challenging. Following the Stonewall riots, New Zealand’s first gay liberation group was formed in 1972 by lesbian and Māori rights activist, Ngahuia Te Awekotuku.
It wasn’t until 1986 that the Homosexual Law Reform Act decriminalised consensual sex between men in Aotearoa. Seven years on, in 1993, New Zealand passed the Human Rights Act, making it illegal to discriminate based on sexual orientation. However, it took another 20 years until same-sex marriage was legalised here in 2013.
"It was open-mic day in the university quad and I grabbed the microphone and yelled out what had happened. I said, Let’s start a revolution!"
"It was open-mic day in the university quad and I grabbed the microphone and yelled out what had happened. I said, Let’s start a revolution!"
Once used in the darkest days of history to mark and discriminate against homosexuals during the Holocaust, the pink triangle has been defiantly re-appropriated as a beacon of resilience and pride in the LGBTQ+ community.
As we continue to evolve and advocate, the pink triangle reminds us of the journey travelled, the battles fought, and the progress still to be made.
"With Pride, we wear the pink triangle. It reminds us of the dark times we've overcome, and fuels our fight for a world where love is simply love."
"With Pride, we wear the pink triangle. It reminds us of the dark times we've overcome, and fuels our fight for a world where love is simply love."
The more we learn, the more we're inspired by this history and committed to doing our part in writing the future. At our heart, we're storytellers. And we believe in telling all stories, not just the ones we’ve heard before.
We may be just designers – but that means embracing all identities and colours in a world that isn’t, and never has been, binary. We’re just beginning our journey of understanding, but we’re committed to being part of a world that values equality and acceptance. Because until we are all free to be who we are, none of us are truly free.
Thank you for reading.
