Pride is a film that provides a rare glimpse of the power of ordinary people to change themselves while they fight to change the world.
In 1984, England’s right-wing Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher launched a terrible attack on the most organized section of the working class in England, the miners. It was an all-out war. The miners were attacked by police. The government froze the miners’ union’s funds. The goal was to crush the unions and force the working class to accept huge concessions.
At the same time, Thatcher’s government extended England’s already repressive legislation against gay people. Gay clubs and book stores were raided by police. The streets of London were a battle-ground as gay rights demonstrators marched and demanded their rights.
Pride is the story of a group of gay rights activists who see that the common enemy of the miners and the gay community is the government and its vicious attacks. They form a group called Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners, and collect huge sums of money in the streets of London and in the gay clubs and bars. This begins a relationship between the group and a small mining community in the countryside of Wales.
The miners, in spite of tradition, religion, and prejudice, invite the LGSM to visit their town and ultimately join their struggle. Pride is the story of solidarity and common humanity overcoming prejudice. It shows how long-held beliefs and assumptions can change in a struggle. See it if you get a chance!
