London Pride march reignites the culture war

London Pride fuels the debate over the decline of the West

Deliberate provocation or just an advocacy parade? The London Pride march has once again brought to the fore a culture war that no one has managed to defuse. While some see a celebration of diversity, others dismiss the event with words like "depravity" or "decadence" and denounce a "circus" orchestrated by the elites.

A parade with a political message

The images circulating these days show a demonstration with a strong political charge: Palestinian flags, LGBT activists and a visible trans presence. Pride incorporating demands that go beyond sensual orientation is nothing new, but the virulence of the reaction is striking. Some argue the parade has become an empty spectacle, useful for diverting attention from more uncomfortable problems. Also caught in the same net was an image of an activist in Berlin who, according to social media, had wished the latest attack had been carried out by a white Christian man. Impossible to verify, but it captures the tone of the moment.

The moderate response

Not everything is outright rejection. There are also voices reminding us that freedom of speech protects both the demonstrator and the critic, and that equating the march with "satanic depravity" says more about those making the claim than about the parade itself. "Those who talk about God and Satan have no better grasp of the real world than those they criticise," sums up one contribution circulating in the debate.

In the end, London Pride works as a mirror: everyone sees their own obsessions in it. Some see diversity; others, decadence. The only certainty is that the show is on and the next edition already has its headline guaranteed.