Publish date: 13 June 2023
Hi there!
For those that haven’t met me before, my name is Skye, and I’m a Telecoach for the Single Point of Access service. I’m also non-binary, use they/them pronouns and act as one of the Trans Representatives for the Trust. I was asked to write briefly about what Pride means to me personally and why it’s important.
When I was a kid, Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988 banned local authorities and schools from ‘promoting homosexuality’.
I grew up in a culture of bullying whilst I was at school. Targeting people who seemed different by using slurs about their sexuality was commonplace. It didn’t get repealed until a few months after my 18th birthday. The experience of being targeted for being who you are is something so painfully familiar for members of the LGBT+ community you could fill libraries with the number of stories you’d hear. And while there’s been some progress toward improving things, we still have a long way to go.
Until 2015, The UK was ranked as one of the most progressive countries for LGBT+ individuals. Lately, however, we’ve plummeted to nearly 20th place. Much of this can be attributed to a cultural shift toward intolerance, with increased hate crimes related to sexual orientation (up 41%) and gender identity (up 56%) in 2022 alone.
Pride month is more than a celebration. It’s a defiant statement that says we can’t be erased. And I hope you’ll stand with me to deliver that message.
