What is Pride?
LGBTQIA+ pride is the promotion of the self-affirmation, dignity, equality, and increased visibility of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people as a social group.
Pride, as opposed to shame and social stigma, is the predominant outlook that bolsters most LGBTQIA+ rights movements.
Pride month is about celebrating the work of LGBTQIA+ people, education in LGBTQIA+ history and raising awareness of issues affecting the LGBTQIA+ community.
Pride is ultimately a celebration of people coming together in love and friendship.
What does LGBTQIA+ stand for?
Often referred to as the LGBT community, the acronym LGBTQIA+ encompasses lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, asexual and other terms, such as non-binary and pansexual.
Why we celebrate Pride in June.
Pride is celebrated in June, as it was June 28 1969, that the Stonewall riots took place. The Stonewall Inn, a bar in Greenwich New York, that served as a safe haven for the queer community, was raided by the police. The raid sparked an uprising within the community and the uprising, that lasted 6 days, was the catalyst for the Gay Rights Movement, and consequently changed gay rights for a lot of people in America and around the world.
Why we still need Pride month.
Even with over 1.5 million LGBTQIA+ people living in the UK and the perception of acceptance, between 2016/17 and 2020/2021, the number of reported hate crimes against LGBTQIA+ people more than doubled.
Parades around the cities, and the general conversation around Pride and the LGBTQIA+ community, coupled with these local events, creates an environment where people can feel acceptance of themselves. It also allows others to become more familiar with seeing LGBTQIA+ people being themselves in their local communities, which can go a small way to encouraging acceptance from others.
How you can get involved in Pride month.
- Attend a parade – find your local pride parade here: https://gayprideshop.co.uk/pages/uk-ireland-gay-pride-events-calendar-2024
- Sign the petition to ban conversion therapy in the UK https://www.stonewall.org.uk/our-work/campaigns/ban-conversion-therapy
- Donate here
- Read up on key literature: Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin, The Line of Beauty by Alan Hollingshurst and Carol by Patricia Highsmith
- Campaign for IVF for all – https://www.stonewall.org.uk/our-work/campaigns/make-access-ivf-equal-lgbtq-people
- Catch up on key queer TV: POSE – BBC, It’s a Sin – 4OD, Queer Eye – Netflix, Heartstopper – Netflix, Will and Grace – NOW, Apple, Amazon Prime
- LSL colleagues can also attend a pride picnic, hosted at local sites and brighten up their office with the desk dressing competition. More information about these events will follow soon.
Be part of a network that celebrates everyone. Make the first step today:
Begin Your Journey with PRIMIS
