They were amazing back then and so inspiring now!
The new film Pride features an extraordinary relationship between a London LGBT group and a group of striking British miners in the year 1984, and the reviews have thrown the word inspiring around since it’s been screened.
Well, at the Toronto International Film Festival three of the people who were the inspiration for this inspiring movie allowed a lot of folks to get to know them!
Those three are Jonathan Blake, Si├â┬ón James and Mike Jackson – Mike was the co-founder of the group Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners, Si├â┬ón was a miner’s wife who is now a member of parliament, and Jonathan was protestor along with Mike Jackson!
Here’s what James said about the relationship between the two parties:
“It’s a romance between two communities who got to know each other and realized there wasn’t a lot of difference between them. The common thread was it was a group of people telling us they had been oppressed for many years ├óΓé¼┬ª We discovered quickly we had more similarities [than differences].”
The group that Mike Jackson co-founded were originally intrigued when the miners put out a call that they needed help and the LGBT group then raised money and helped the miners and their community in Dulais Valley, in South Wales.
And that began a bond that lasted a long time!
Here’s what Mike Jackson said about his past efforts’ impact:
“In the U.K., you can actually draw a line right back to October 1985 and the National Union of Mineworkers announcing it was going to support the lesbian and gay motion for equalities. We thought we were supporting the miners, but in retrospect, what we were supporting was something far more precious.”
And Jonathan Blake admits the movie was a bit disheartening to watch since he’s lost so many friends since then. He said:
“One of the things that just welled up in me watching the film was all the people that aren’t here, that we’ve lost [to AIDS]. I had to get through that. It wasn’t until the second time I saw the film that I could watch and enjoy and savor it. It is astonishing.”
We’re definitely going to see this movie, and knowing all of this beforehand should make the viewing experience even better!!!
But this wasn’t the only press these three have done recently!!!
Check out three other interviews from these three wonderful folks down (below) !!!
[Image via Twitter.]
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