Torremolinos Pride: Liberation & Unapologetic Love

Pride Isn’t the Problem. Your Insecurity Is

Let's be clear about one thing:

I don't give a damn who you sleep with, who you love, who you kiss, who you text goodnight, or who you dream about when crying your eyes out in the shower. Honestly, no one else should either.

Some people, however, are obsessed. They’re obsessed with a stranger’s naughty bits, obsessed with personal pronouns as if grammar were a life-or-death situation. Obsessed with protecting some vague idea of “sanctity” while politicians let corporate lobbyists write policies and billionaires hoard wealth and torch the planet for fun and profit.

But sure, let's panic about two men holding hands.

Pride was never meant to be polite

The term "Pride" wasn’t chosen because it sounds cute. It was a stiff middle finger raised high. A shout from the rooftops after centuries of being told to disappear. It’s more than just rainbows and glitter (though those help). It’s survival (in glitter and sequins) and not feeling shame or having to apologise for it.

The word itself wasn’t plucked from a rainbow; it was shaped by struggle and adversity. In 1966, Los Angeles activists ignited Personal Rights in Defense and Education (PRIDE), a stand against police brutality, a rally for sexual freedom, and a rejection of silence. People like Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera lit that fire. They stood tall with whatever they had: heels, bottles, bare fists, and kick-ass fingernails.

"Pride" as their battle cry. 'Pride' declared presence. No apologies. No hiding. No surrender. Dogma doesn’t get to define happiness. Lawmakers don’t own our lives. We remain bold, free, and loud.

Pride is survival turned street party. It's resistance stitched in sequins, a stiff middle finger to the politicians and pulpits, a stomping on every law and liturgy that tries to silence us.

Blissful Defiance: The Art of Celebrating Freedom

I’ve always been an ally, not out of obligation, but because I never saw queerness as strange. I grew up in the ‘70s when punk ripped gender to pieces and new wave made androgyny spellbinding. Ziggy Stardust didn’t ask permission. No one should have to.

Every Pride festival I’ve been to? Vibrant. Colourful. Uninhibited. The human spirit alive with the volume cranked past 10. And yet, somehow, happiness offends people. You’d think queers were setting puppies on fire from the way some people react to two men kissing in public.

So let's cut the bullshit: this isn’t about morality. It’s about control. It’s about policing bodies, identities, and expressions. It's the need to keep everyone in the same boring little box while the system devours your soul and calls it order. You’re not allowed to shine. They won’t let you be that free.

Hypocrisy is the Real Pandemic

We glorify war and label it patriotism. We enable exploitation and brand it capitalism. We praise conformity and call it professionalism. But love someone of the same gender? Use they/them pronouns? God forbid you identify as a nonbinary pansexual demigod dolphin. That’s the real threat to society.

Riddle me this. Who is getting hurt by someone else being happy in their own skin? Where’s the impact?

And don’t even think about mentioning “the children” unless you’re addressing foster care, poverty, or abuse. There are over 2 billion children on this planet. Focus on the children if they're so damn important, but do us all a favour and shut the hell up.

Final Thought: Be Who the Fuck You Want

You can identify as a hippopotamus, for all I care. If it makes you happy and feel seen, then embrace it. But never let someone else's fears make you squander your soul. Don't dull your sparkle and shine for the appeasement of others.

We need Pride because this world still doesn’t get it. And until it does, we will keep showing up, we will continue to dance, continue to shine, and continue to love out loud until hate has nowhere left to hide.

Torremolinos kicked off the first week of Pride Month on June 7. The event paid tribute to the Stonewall riots, a monumental event in 1969 that marked the beginning of the modern LGBTQIA+ rights movement and established June as the global month for resistance and celebration. On the Costa del Sol, the streets came alive with floats filled with queens, bears, and bare bottoms. Glitter and confetti filled the air as the partygoers danced to the reverberating music.

While the parades and gatherings are vibrant, we should not forget that Pride is also a time for reflection, activism, and honoring the ongoing fight for equality.