This year, at fyi.news, we decided to actively support Pride. Not because it’s easy. Not because it’s good for views. Not because it’s the cool thing to do. But because it’s the right thing to do.
Our decision was unanimous within the team. It was conscious and clear. Part of our DNA, beyond objectivity, fact-checking, and transparency, is our unconditional support for groups and minorities facing prejudice and racism. For us, all people are indisputably and unequivocally equal.
The world is changing. A significant step was taken last February when the Greek Parliament passed the law on marriage equality. From the discussions I saw, I remember three that stood out. An MP and father of many from Epirus who said that despite knowing his decision to vote in favor would prevent him from attending his village square, his conscience compelled him to do so because it was the right thing to do. An MP from Drama who said that people from the community opened his eyes to the world when he first went to Thessaloniki as a student. Lastly, an MP from Crete who recounted how colleagues advised her that voting against the law would secure her “captain” status, but she prioritized integrity and chose to vote in favor to maintain her ability to look her friends in the eye.
The unconditional support for groups and minorities facing prejudice and racism is part of the fyi.news DNA
Change never comes alone; it comes only through struggles, fights, demands, and examples, never effortlessly, like a ready ripe fruit. It’s because of these fights that the 400 people who walked the Athens Pride in 2009, when I first attended as an ally, grew to over 40,000 last year. And I am grateful for the people who walked before me, in much harder times, so that I can walk today.
To honor the fight, we must carry it forward. For ourselves, for those who came before us, and for those who will follow. For Marina, Grigoris, Paola, and the others. For the men who remained bachelors, for the women who grew old together. For them who never felt like themselves within the norms of their neighborhood or society. For the people burdened by centuries of guilt.
Pride, in the truest sense of the word, isn’t derived from whether I belong or don’t belong to the community. It was not a choice, after all. My sense of Pride comes from being able to walk proudly with my partner by my side in the heart of Athens. It comes from our friends who walk beside us and from my parents who, if they could, would do the same. These are the things I am proud of.
Forgive me for saying that the passage of one law is far from sufficient. Society must continue to evolve for the better, and it is our duty to actively engage in this ongoing fight.
