With Make-Up, I Celebrate Pride All Year Round
Each year as June rolls around, LGBTQIA+ people all around the world gear up to celebrate Pride Month – marking the monumental Stonewall Riots of 1969, a catalyst for queer rights everywhere. These days, the meaning is more ambiguous – whether it’s a party, protest, or a sigh of relief for finally making it out of the closet – depending on who you’re talking to.
This year, however, with elections looming in both the UK and US, LGBTQIA+ people – particularly those most visibly so – have found themselves being used as political pawns in an ongoing culture war, leaving us with a sense of having little to feel proud about.
Brands have seemingly abandoned our cause too, with far fewer rainbow-coloured logos following last year’s backlash faced by brands such as Starbucks, and most notably Bud Light, after its partnership with trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney. Violence towards LGBTQIA+ people in the UK (and across Europe) still continues to increase too and whatever the outcome of the General Election on July 4, a ban on trans people in single-sex spaces seems inevitable.
It’s understandable that LGBTQIA+ people are feeling despondent about the current state of the world, yet it’s more important than ever that the community takes time this month to reflect on its past and celebrate our enduring tenacity in the face of adversity. In short: we’re still here, we’re still queer, so get used to it.
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For me, an integral part in celebrating both my sexuality and gender identity has been through make-up. Five years ago, when I first smudged shimmering eyeshadow across my eyelids, something clicked. Though I’d scarcely dabbled before then, it felt immediately familiar, like reconnecting with an old friend I hadn’t seen in years. Following the rhinestone road, at the end I didn’t find a wizard promising me a heart or a brain, but instead, an understanding and comfort within myself that I hadn’t even realised was missing until I found it. Yet, it’s a feeling commonly shared among LGBTQIA+ people.
'I’ve always seen make-up as paint, so I used to paint myself purple just to go into town. It was very normal for me to turn up with glitter all over my face at school,' shares make-up artist Tina Khatri on their beauty beginnings. 'It was instinctual, I was expressing however I felt that morning.' Unlike Tina, my entry into beauty was far more tentative. If I dared to go out in make-up, my eyes would nervously dart about from under electric blue eyeliner as I sat on the Tube, praying not to be perceived.
'It felt like I was doing something I shouldn’t be doing, but that would make me want to do it more,' reflects make-up artist Berny Ferreira on their early relationship with wearing make-up. 'We live in a society where queer people are targeted and made to feel shame for who they are. I love painting myself and I get a bit of a rush from the reactions I get from people. I like the idea that people who are going to hate on me look at it and feel a sense of discomfort. It says a lot about my confidence as a queer person, sharing it with the world and not caring what you think.'
Despite the frequent stares and occasional comments, I persevered, trying different looks on like they were costumes for size and seeing what worked (glitter and gems are always a winner) and what didn’t (white eyeliner!). In turn, my confidence grew and I began to sparkle from the inside out, a newfound openness that drew strangers to me.
Often starting with a simple compliment, beauty became a bridge to understanding, prompting surprisingly candid conversations with everyone from well-intentioned allies who were afraid they’d be shunned for slipping up on somebody’s pronouns, to older people who had never met anybody like me before. 'People are genuinely curious, especially when they see something they’re not used to being around in their daily lives,' explains Ferreira. 'It’s nice when people appreciate what I do.'
Feeling naked without my make-up, while the colours, shapes, and inspirations are constantly shifting, authenticity is at the heart of it. A way of flying my own personal Pride flag wherever I am, I brim with joy when I encounter fellow make-up aficionados out and about. As if we are all members in a secret club with our own language; Hello, I bat with my mascara-laden lashes, I see you. 'I love seeing people made up and happy in their own skin, it’s so beautiful,' says Khatri. 'It makes me feel like I’m in a safe space myself too.'
Slowly, we are making our presence known across film, television, music, and even in law – with names like Emma Corrin, Emma D’Arcy, Bella Ramsey, and Sam Smith among those similarly using beauty and fashion as vehicles for celebrating their identities. Though it’s worth noting, gender non-conforming people have been around throughout history, it’s not a new fad.
Since we’re commonplace now, why do we even need Pride in 2024?, naysayers might ask. I’m reminded every time I see a curious child peering up at me to get a better look at that day’s artistry. I can’t help but smile, considering the impact seeing a visibly queer person would have had on a young Dominic – still coming to terms with their identity.
Without having to say a word, living my life authentically lets them know one important thing: it gets better. To me, that is what the spirit of Pride will always be about.
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