Organizing Pride when the world pushes back: A guide to collective resistance and celebration

As the organizers of Sri Lankan Pride 2025, we witnessed firsthand the immense and multifaceted challenges that advocates and community members faced throughout the process of planning and executing this year’s Pride. The environment in which we operated was one of increasing hostility, shaped by a surge in anti-LGBTIQ narratives, misinformation, and political indifference.

One of the most critical challenges was ensuring safety and protection. Many advocates, including our team and partners, experienced heightened levels of surveillance, online harassment, and in some cases, credible threats of violence. There was a palpable climate of fear, and several individuals who had previously been openly engaged in advocacy were forced to withdraw from visible roles due to concerns for their personal security and wellbeing.

We also encountered an intense disinformation campaign that misrepresented our work and demonized the community. These campaigns accused us of promoting foreign values, targeting youth, and corrupting culture. The rapid spread of such content, particularly through social media in Sinhala and Tamil, created a hostile public discourse and made it difficult to correct the narrative or gain neutral ground.

One of the most discouraging findings was the absence of institutional support. Despite years of advocacy, there was little to no political willingness to acknowledge or protect the rights of LGBTIQ people. Government bodies remained silent, and some segments of the media further amplified harmful rhetoric. This forced us to operate without formal backing, relying instead on informal networks and civil society allies.

The emotional and mental toll on advocates was also very apparent. Many of us were stretched beyond capacity, constantly negotiating between public engagement and risk management. We had to remain vigilant, adaptive, and responsive while carrying the emotional weight of leading a community that was under open attack.

Despite operating in an increasingly hostile and politically sensitive environment, we successfully organized and delivered Sri Lanka Pride 2025 through strategic planning, strong community engagement, and an unwavering commitment to safety, visibility, and joy. We addressed security concerns with careful venue selection, discreet communications, and close coordination with trusted partners. Ensuring the safety and comfort of participants, especially those most vulnerable due to their visibility, was central to every aspect of our planning. We also embedded mental health and emotional support throughout the process, recognizing the significant emotional toll of organizing under such pressure.

In response to the rise of anti-LGBTIQ narratives, we chose to confront hostility by centering community-led programming that celebrated resilience, creativity, and resistance. One of our flagship events was the Rainbow Bazaar, a vibrant two-day gathering that brought together queer community members, allies, artists, and small businesses. The Bazaar featured community-led stalls and media content showcasing by the media fellowship done through amplifychange grant which attracted many stakeholders including representatives from embassies, National level state authorities and institutions, providing a much-needed affirming space for visibility and storytelling. This event culminated in a Pride party at a beach restaurant, which was attended by over 800 participants, marking one of the largest and most vibrant Pride gatherings in in the year.

Another important moment was the Rainbow Cricket Match, an event that brought queer individuals into the sporting arena, an area where visibility is often limited. The match was not only a celebration but also a powerful challenge to traditional gender norms, offering a safe and inclusive space where queer bodies could be publicly affirmed through sport. Despite facing weather-related challenges, the Holi Festival at Nuwara Eliya further brought together diverse segments of the community in celebration. This event underscored the importance of joy, connection, and cultural expression as vital forms of resistance.

Through these diverse events, we demonstrated our ability to adapt, innovate, and remain firmly grounded in the needs and aspirations of the community. These gatherings reclaimed public space and rebuilt confidence among participants, sending a clear message that Pride is not only a celebration but a political statement and an act of defiance. Achieving this under intense pressure strengthened our community bonds, broadened our visibility, and laid a solid foundation for continued resistance and advocacy in a challenging socio-political landscape.

From organizing Sri Lankan Pride 2025 amid an increasingly hostile environment, we learned the critical importance of resilience, adaptability, and solidarity. We came to understand that advocacy in such a context requires not only courage but also careful strategic planning and a deep commitment to community safety.

One key lesson was the necessity of balancing visibility with protection. While it is vital to maintain public presence and assert rights openly, we learned that ensuring the physical and emotional safety of participants must always come first. This meant developing flexible event formats and discreet communication channels that could respond quickly to emerging threats.

We also learned the power of creative and diverse forms of expression as tools of resistance. Events like the Rainbow Bazaar, the Rainbow Cricket Match, and the Holi Festival showed us how cultural celebration, sports, and community gatherings can foster solidarity and create spaces where joy and defiance coexist. These approaches helped to counteract negative narratives and build positive visibility within and beyond our communities.

Another important insight was the value of building broad alliances across movements and sectors. The challenges of Pride 2025 highlighted the limits of working in isolation, pushing us to deepen collaborations with feminist groups, youth organizations, and international allies. This strengthened our collective capacity and provided essential moral and technical support.

Although we have persisted in our work, we have come to deeply recognize the significant emotional strain that ongoing activism in a hostile environment imposes. Prioritizing mental health, mutual support, and sustainable organizing has shifted from being mere ideals to essential practices for maintaining long-term momentum. We learned that nurturing care and solidarity within the movement is fundamental to sustaining hope and the strength needed for continued resistance.

Facing hostility and challenges like we did with Sri Lankan Pride 2025 is never easy, but there are some important lessons we learned that might help others in similar situations. First and foremost, you have to take care of yourselves and your community.

Activism in a hostile environment takes a real emotional and physical toll. That means thinking carefully about safety, not just physical security but also mental health. Having trusted people around you to talk to and share the load can make all the difference. Sustainable organizing is not just a goal but a necessity if you want to keep going in the long run.

Building strong connections beyond your immediate circle is another key piece. We found that working together with different groups, whether feminist organizations, youth networks, or international allies, creates a much stronger support system. These alliances not only protect you but also amplify your message, helping it reach wider audiences and build momentum for change.

Being flexible and creative in how you organize is also essential. Sometimes a big public event is not possible or safe, so mixing things up with smaller gatherings, online spaces, cultural activities, or sports can open new doors. The Rainbow Bazaar, the cricket match, and the Holi Festival showed us how powerful it can be to celebrate identity and community in diverse ways. These moments of joy and connection remind us why we keep pushing forward.

We also learned how important it is to actively fight back against misinformation. It is easy for harmful stereotypes and false narratives to spread quickly, so telling your own stories clearly and authentically is crucial. Using trusted media, social platforms, and community voices helps reclaim the conversation and counters the negativity.

Above all, we learned that this work is a marathon, not a sprint. It is vital to pace yourself, share responsibilities, and support one another through the hard times. When you care for each other, you build the strength and hope needed to keep resisting and growing.