June marks the month of Pride when the world’s LGBT communities come together and celebrate the freedom to be themselves.
Throughout history, those who identified as LGBT or queer were largely oppressed and looked upon as deviants. Their right and freedoms of expression were taken away from them through the banning of the way they dressed or condemning them through sensational public trials, exile, medical warnings, and more. These types of persecutions enabled homophobia to persist, and altered society’s views on being considered “different”. Fortunately, people began rebelling against these ideals, and human rights advocates grew together to speak on behalf of those being oppressed, starting a movement to a freer world.
To further these notions of activism, many fashion brands exhibit their pride, either through the collaborations and partnerships they get involved in, or the release of products in honour of those once oppressed. One such brand, Dr. Martens, is showing off its pride this year with a new partnership AND the release of a new stylish shoe. For decades, the LGBTQIA+ wearers have been lacing up their Dr. Martens and marching in them, shaping them into a symbol of rebellion, resilience and self-expression, and adding to the fashion that makes up the streets. This year is no different with 2021 marking the fifth year the iconic footwear brand has partnered with The Trevor Project. TTP is the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for LGBTQIA+ young people, and this year Dr. Martens is stepping up its commitment to the cause by making a $100,000 donation to the organization for a year-round partnership to help share valuable resources with those who need them.
To commemorate this, Dr. Martens is also releasing a 1461 shoe, called “For Pride”, complete with rainbow flag embroidery, lace, loop and multi-coloured tonal stitching throughout the uppers. See the above photo for reference.
The shoe retails for $170 CAD and is available at https://www.drmartens.com/ca/en_ca/
Celebrate this pride month with some new colourful purchases that will make you a part of the resilience and self-expression that embodies Pride, because after all, everyone deserves to feel respected, safe, and seen.
In addition to brands showing their Pride, there is a multitude of films out there that present stories of the experiences undergone by LGBTQ+ and queer members of society. To find out more about their stories as shown through cinematography, check out https://holrmagazine.com/best-lgbt-films-youll-want-to-watch-this-pride-month/ for a diverse list of films that will help enrich, educate, and move us forward as a community.