David Lauterstein, gay activist and businessman, and CEO of gay and bi men's kinky clubwear brand "Nasty Pig", has warned those members of our rainbow community who would police drag, kinkywear and minorities such as rubber men and women, that they ultimately will undermine Pride season for all of us. Mr Lauterstein issued a press release via the Nasty Pig website, saying

"When we began planning our 2026 Pride Collection, landing on the location was a no brainer. We shot at the West Village in NYC, home to the Stonewall Inn and the birthplace of the modern LGBTQIA+ movement. After the Federal Parks Department removed the Pride Flag from the Stonewall monument back in February, and our community's successful efforts to have it reinstalled permanently, we felt that it was important to remind ourselves of the origins and history of Pride..........

Prior to the Stonewall Riots, the prevailing wisdom among gay organisations was that equality for gay people could only be achieved through heteronormative assimilation into society. With that came self policing of what was considered acceptable behaviour and appropriate codes of dress. Even behind closed doors, anyone who chose to look or act gay was at risk of being fined, jailed, and publicly exposed for being themselves. In the months leading up to the Stonewall Riots, the harrassment of queer people in New York only got worse. Blending in meant hiding who we were, and some of us had had enough. They recognised that the only path to equality was through our freedom to be ourselves, on our terms, in any way we wanted. On June 28th 1969, as the Stonewall Riots began, so did the modern LGBTQ+ movement. We were done with being proper. It was time to exist with Pride.

We have made so much progress since then. That progress, unfortunately, has created room for regressive attitudes around self-policing to return. I am sure we will soon be subjected to all the "don't wear kink at Pride" conversations this month. But once you erase kink at Pride, drag is next. Then flags. Then parades. Before you know it, there won't be a Pride at all. I am sure there are people within our community who would say "good riddance". Well I have a message for them. You are aligning yourselves with others who say exactly the same thing, not just about Pride, but about us.

When we tone down our queer identities, and opt out of expressing ourselves authentically to "protect" the image of the community, we are erasing our own history, and with it the lessons of the past. Being invisible won't keep us safe. Equality will. We - ALL OF US - stand on the shoulders of ancestors, who risked their lives so that we could live openly today in any way we choose. Wearing whatever you want to wear, is an act of resistance against a world that is all to ready to turn its back on us the moment we become inconvenient. SO, this June, get out there and be yourself. It may not be as easy as it was in the past, but we are not going backwards. Much like the Pride flag at Stonewall, we will never be taken down. "

Nasty Pig gay fashion and fetish website is at https://store.nastypig.com/ - website not safe for work computers!