Celebrating Pride Month – June 2025

Date 02nd June

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Every June, we come together to celebrate Pride Month, a powerful reminder of the strength, resilience, and brilliance of the LGBTQIA+ community. It’s a time to amplify voices, champion equality, and reflect on the strides we’ve made, while recognising how far we still have to go.

Pride traces its roots back to a spark of defiance on June 28th, 1969, when the Stonewall Riots in New York City lit the flame of a global movement. What began as an uprising against injustice has grown into a vibrant legacy of activism, visibility, and unapologetic joy.

Pride Month is more than rainbow flags and parades, it’s a heartfelt tribute to the trailblazers who paved the way and a rallying cry to keep pushing forward. It’s about creating a world where everyone, regardless of who they love or how they identify, feels seen, supported, and empowered.

This month, we celebrate loudly and proudly, but we also listen, learn, and commit to doing the work.

The Importance of Pride and Why We Still Need It!

Pride isn’t just a party, it’s a powerful statement. A declaration that LGBTQIA+ people deserve to live freely, visibly, and without fear. At its core, Pride is about resistance, resilience, and the ongoing fight for equality, inclusion, and dignity.

We still need Pride. Around the world, LGBTQIA+ communities continue to face discrimination, violence, and legal threats. In too many places, simply existing as your true self can put your safety, livelihood, or life at risk. Even in countries where rights have been secured, barriers remain, whether it’s in healthcare, housing, education, or the workplace. Trans and non-binary people, queer people of colour, disabled LGBTQIA+ people, and others with intersecting identities often bear the brunt of this injustice.

Pride creates space to be seen, heard, and celebrated. It fosters connection, affirms identity, and reminds LGBTQIA+ individuals especially young people that they are not alone. That who they are is valid. That joy, love, and safety are not privileges they are rights.

But Pride’s impact goes beyond the LGBTQIA+ community. It challenges harmful norms and uplifts values that benefit everyone: empathy, authenticity, and the freedom to live without shame or fear. It pushes society forward, making space for greater acceptance, creativity, and collective strength.

Yes, Pride is joyful. It’s loud, colourful, and full of love. But it’s also a movement with purpose. Until every LGBTQIA+ person can live openly and safely without compromise or apology Pride remains not just relevant, but essential.

How You Can Support the LGBTQ+ Community This Pride Month

Educate Yourself and Others: Take time to learn about the history of Pride, the significance of the Stonewall Riots, and the ongoing challenges faced by LGBTQIA+ individuals. Knowledge is power and it’s also allyship in action.
Celebrate LGBTQIA+ Voices: Read books, stream films, listen to music, and follow creators from the LGBTQIA+ community. Representation matters, and Pride is the perfect time to amplify diverse stories.
Be an Active Ally: Whether it’s challenging discrimination, correcting misconceptions, or offering support in everyday conversations, your voice makes a difference.
Support LGBTQIA+ Organisations: Donate to or volunteer with charities working to protect and uplift LGBTQIA+ rights, both in the UK and globally.
Show Up and Speak Out: Attend Pride events, marches, or panel discussions. Visibility is a powerful form of support, and your presence can help foster a more inclusive world.
Create Inclusive Spaces: In your workplace, social circles, or community, advocate for policies and practices that ensure LGBTQIA+ people feel safe, respected, and valued every day not just in June.
Listen With Empathy: Sometimes, the best way to support someone is simply to listen. Make space for LGBTQIA+ colleagues, friends, and family to share their experiences without judgment.
Celebrate Identity in All Its Forms: Pride is a joyful celebration of authenticity. Honour the full spectrum of sexual orientations, gender identities.