Probably the most frequently asked question when it comes to Pride must be “Why do we need a Pride?”.
Given the huge improvement in equalities over the last decade with protections written in to law and a legal recognition of our relationships, then it is understandable that some people, including those within the LGBT community, might think that we’ve won the fight for freedom.
However, dig a little deeper, keep an eye on the news, read some of the comments on news websites, and it becomes clear that there is still a long way to go both within the UK and abroad. Young people are being bullied at school, homophobic attacks are still happening on the streets and archaic nonsense continues to be spouted by people in positions of influence.
Further afield, there are countries around the world that still actively persecute and criminalise LGBT people, just for being who they are. It is illegal to be homosexual in 78 countries. The legal situation in Russia, Nigeria, Uganda and India has been a huge shock in this day and age. We need to challenge our own politicians to challenge those countries to uphold the basic human rights that we in the UK can take for granted.
Brighton Pride, one of the UK’s largest LGBT events, is in a great position to provide a platform to raise awareness about the issues faced by our community both around the corner and around the world. We can actively raise significant funds for local LGBT community groups and services that are being hit by severe funding cuts. We can celebrate our freedoms and reach out to our brothers and sisters around the globe in solidarity. There is still very much a need for Pride.
This page on our website will be dedicated to highlighting those issues and to bringing you news from the community groups that we raise funds for.
By raising hope, Pride can continue to make history and we hope you’ll join us in our journey.
Please send a maximum of 200 words on why Pride Matters to you.
The best submissions will be posted on this website and over our social media platforms.
