Royal Mail issues LGBTQ+ stamps for Pride's 50th anniversary

The British Royal Mail has released a series of illustrated stamps celebrating LGBTQ+ rights, marking 50 years since the first Pride parade in London on July 1, 1972. The stamps, designed by illustrator Sofie Birkin in collaboration with NB Studio, depict queer drag performers, couples, and people of diverse cultures marching in a colorful procession. The color palette draws from the rainbow flag, the iconic symbol of the LGBTQ+ movement. The series goes on sale from July 1, 2022, and was announced with an animated video by Animade. The 1972 London march, organized by the Gay Liberation Front, occurred three years after the 1969 Stonewall riots in New York and is considered one of the first such demonstrations in Europe. Italy's first gay pride gathering tied to international celebrations was held in Turin in 1978.