The stories behind this year’s jubilant LGBT+ Pride celebrations

As journalists we have to look beyond the crowd numbers, celebrity appearances and colourful posters. We have to ask if real progress is being made to advance people’s rights

This year’s Pride Month has seen some of the largest parades in history, as the LGBT+ community commemorates 50 years since the infamous police raids on New York’s Stonewall Inn.

For the international desk, it has given us an opportunity to cover some positive news stories – a welcome break from the war and violence that often dominate global headlines – but it also shows just how much further we have to go before we reach true equality.

In New York, some 150,000 took to the streets over the weekend, transforming Manhattan into a sea of rainbow flags as the crowds celebrated some of the progress that has been made. Lady Gaga even made a surprise appearance at the Stonewall Inn, saying she “would take a bullet” for the community.