Why we all need a bit of Pride this year

I write this on the day that would have been Pride Edinburgh 2020. Last year, tens of thousands of LGBTQ+ Scots and Allies joined in the centre of our capital city for a march through the streets, followed by entertainment and a range of social events. To me, pride is three things; a protest, a celebration and a coming together.

Since I came out over 5 years ago, I have attended every Edinburgh Pride event, each time with a group of individuals, be that my friends, the University LGBT+ group or the Scottish Liberal Democrats. It’s always been a day of great energy and companionship, and a chance to see a lot of friends I may have lost touch with over the years.

In terms of protest, the recent Black Lives Matter protests following the death of George Floyd show how important it is to fight for our rights. The LGBTQ+ community stands with the Black Lives Matter movements, and we have some fights of our own still to fight. In the UK, there have been moves by the Government to reduce the rights of the Trans community, and the Scottish Government’s feet dragging on reform of the Gender Recognition Act.

There is also the continued travesty which is the homophobic and biphobic ‘blood ban’, which prevents many Gay and Bisexual men giving blood. This is a cause which is close to my heart, having grown up going with my mum on her regular blood donation sessions. Due to circumstances outwith my control (namely being single in a pandemic), I will be giving blood In the coming weeks, but I would dearly love to be able to give more regularly without having to resort to forced celibacy.

Pride is also a celebration of how fabulous our community is, how much variety it has and how much LGBTQ+ talent there is. It’s a time when people from all walks of life (and yes, some ‘pinkwashing’ businesses) unite to celebrate our community and be proud of who we are. We are still here, and we’re not going away, and the middle of the pandemic is when some of us need that message most, and the opportunity to socialise in a time when we have never been more collectively alone.

To fill the hole left by the lack of Edinburgh Pride this year, a lot of small online events have been put together to unite our community, and the LGBT+ Lib Dems, in conjunction with Scottish Lib Dem Women have put together a day of online Pride activities on 21st June for everyone to enjoy. We have a virtual rally with speakers, two panel discussions, a pub quiz and a Eurovision watch along. You can sign up to join these event here. 

Come join us for virtual pride to come together as a community of LGBT+ Lib Dems and Allies.

Photo: Lib Dems at Pride Edinburgh 2019. Credit: Stephen Harte.

* Fraser Graham is an Executive member of LGBT+ Lib Dems.

Read more by .
This entry was posted in News.
Advert

3 Comments

  • Interesting to read your opinions, Fraser, but what evidence do you have that there is no
    risk to the recipients, particularly those with compromised immune systems such as former transplant patients. Do you think you know better than the NHS… and just as you claim to have rights, don’t you think the recipients of your donation have rights too ?

  • @ Georgina Yes, of course I do, Georgina, and I also confirm that I fully respect Fraser’s right to follow the lifestyle of his choice and preference.

    On the issue he raises I hope that he in turn could accept the rights of all individuals, straight, gay or bi, who are at risk and affected by a compromised immune system. They should have the benefit of every possible precaution for their welfare, in particular the recipients of organ transplants. They are on the shielded list during Covid-19 throughout the U.K.

    I suggest you read the Public Health England (2018) Report (details below) which carries the scientific statistics relating to the issue.

    HIV in the UK 2018 report: Summary, key messages and …assets.publishing.service.gov.uk › attachment_data › file
    PDF Progress towards ending the HIV epidemic in the UK: 2018 report − summary. 2. About Public Health England. Public Health England

Post a Comment

Lib Dem Voice welcomes comments from everyone but we ask you to be polite, to be on topic and to be who you say you are. You can read our comments policy in full here. Please respect it and all readers of the site.

To have your photo next to your comment please signup your email address with Gravatar.

Your email is never published. Required fields are marked *

*
*
Please complete the name of this site, Liberal Democrat ...?

Advert

Recent Comments

  • Joseph Bourke
    The UK strategic defence review appears to be being rapidly overtaken by events. The review was ordered to deliver answers for a defence budget that will increa...
  • Joseph Bourke
    Echoing France's Napoleon Bonaparte, U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday took to social media to signal continued resistance to limits on his executive auth...
  • Slamdac
    "Mainstream parties are perceived as having done more to exacerbate the problems for young men with their support for diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) pr...
  • Nigel Quinton
    Whatever happened to Torsten Bell when he became an MP? (And now Pensions Minister). His interview on Politics Joe "Why Britain is Poor" in 2023 as summarised b...
  • Christopher Haigh
    The re-nationalisation of the energy industry should be the main government priority, followed by that of water supply and rail transport. Energy is the. bedroc...