We cannot afford to forget this and so Pride to me will always be a poignant reminder that we have so much more ground to cover. Pride is a beacon of hope for the community, but it's also an annual reminder that as far as we have come there is so much more for us to do. Of late, however, it seems like a harder job, and outside my own echo chamber, I worry very little change is happening. Creating content that educates, uplifts, and spotlights overlooked voices. As recent developments in the UK and US have shown, we cannot afford to stop fighting for what is right, because if we do, things will only get worse.Īs a proud non-binary person, I am undoubtedly indebted to the trans generations past, who gifted us the freedoms we have and I always take the time to pay it forwards.
Transgender rights are under serious threat in the UK and that is devastating for the whole community, who have worked so hard, for it to be thrown back in our faces. They started the fight for the rights we have in the LGBTQ+ community in 2020.įast-forward 51 years we have come such a long way, but we are far away from the utopia many would have believed possible. The queer community, lead by black transgender vanguards, fought back against the brutal treatment by the police. Remember Pride commemorates the Stonewall Riots of June 1969, which were five days of rioting, looting, and violence. So the bad, well Pride is, was and always will be a protest. Many members of the community, myself included, cannot walk down my local high street without people stopping and staring hate crimes are at an all-time high, and the LGBTQ+ community take the brunt of so much abuse. Yet I know that in reality, that cusp is far far away, and we have so much work to do. Never before have I been as comfortable as I am right now and I feel like we are on the cusp of more acceptance in our society. I cannot describe the difference in my own mental wellbeing, but it is monumental. Pride season highlights the incredible nature of owning who you are, and in doing that unapologetically we have so much power. Pride to me personally is a myriad of things, good and bad. Pride encapsulates this and celebrates it. One of the joys of my job is creating content that highlights the many different experiences in the LGBTQ+ community our differences and personal journeys are what make it so wonderfully diverse. Wishing you all, a very happy Pechey, is one of those magic words that is unique to each and every one of us in the LGBTQ+ community. Recently coming out as queer has not only been a personally liberating experience but it has also encouraged me to educate myself further on the history of Pride and the need to examine the prejudices within our own community. In preceding years I have been a firm ally of the Pride movement, but this year my voice emanates on a more personal level. Wishing you all, a very happy Vanier, this is by no means my first celebration of Pride, this is the first year where I’ve found the courage to live my whole truth. I think it’s the first healthy relationship I have ever been in and I can’t even begin to tell you how happy I am. I have never experienced love quite like this. This year I am going to be spending Pride at home, in my support bubble with my first ever (and hopefully last) girlfriend.
Supporting a charity that works with homeless and disadvantaged LGBTQ+ young people, was an absolute no-brainer and I am proud to be working with Matalan on this campaign. Transphobia, racism and other forms of non-inclusion still exist in LGBTQ+ spaces, which is why this year it is more important than ever for me to donate, learn about and work with charities who strive to ensure that nobody is left behind to experience oppression, especially from those who claim to be allies. Danielle Vanier, this is by no means my first celebration of Pride, this is the first year where I’ve found the courage to live my whole truth.