Pride in the 1980s

Apple Music
Pride in the 1980s

By some measures, the '80s saw the darkest period of the modern Pride movement. In June 1981, barely a decade after the Stonewall commemorations, a rare immune disorder was first identified, an affliction that would soon come to be known as AIDS. By the end of the decade, the number of HIV/AIDS-related infections had reached the hundreds of thousands. In those early days, little was known about the HIV virus or AIDS; fear and stigma were rampant. Meanwhile, the "Gay Liberation" protests of the '70s were morphing into the "Gay Pride" celebrations of the '80s, as LGBTQ+ individuals refused to be silent or ignored. The music of the era demanded attention as well; whether the personal-cum-political message of Bronski Beat's "Smalltown Boy" or the hedonistic anthems of George Michael, this was the decade when Pride found its passion.

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