Barack Obama says 'protests and politics go hand-in-hand' in powerful Stonewall speech

'Progress doesn't happen on its own, it happens because we stand up, speak out, and demand change'

Barack Obama has reflected on and celebrated the progress of the LGBTQ community since the Stonewall Riots in a video message shared during a Stonewall Livestream benefit.

On Friday, the former US president participated in Pride Live's third annual Stonewall Day celebration along with other notable figures including Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Ellen DeGeneres, Demi Lovato and Kesha.

“We’re almost 51 years since the night when the patrons of the Stonewall Inn stood up for their rights and set off one of America’s defining victories for civil rights,” Mr Obama said. “Because the movement they sparked, and the decades of work that followed, marriage equality became the law of the land five years ago and just this month, the Supreme Court ruled that employers can no longer discriminate against LGBTQ workers.

“And all that progress is worth celebrating, and reflecting on.”

According to the former president, the LGBTQ movement’s struggle for rights, and its triumphs, shows how “protest and politics go hand-in-hand”.

Mr Obama also discussed the impact that each person’s voice can have in the continued fight against injustice in the US.

“Whether we’re fighting to protect a patient from discrimination in the healthcare system, or to combat violence against the LGBTQ community, particularly trans women of colour, or to link arms with the causes of racial and social justice that have been sweeping the country, I hope you know that your voice can make an enormous difference," he said.

In his speech, Mr Obama reminded viewers that “progress doesn't happen on its own, it happens because we stand up, speak out, and demand change.”

He concluded the message encouraging people to keep protesting peacefully and to vote, so that in five years or 50 years time, “folks will gather to commemorate the victories we achieved beginning right now.”

The message comes two days before the 51st anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, when a police raid on the Stonewall Inn in New York City on 28 June 1969 sparked protests and demonstrations among members of the LGBTQ community.