Pride Means More Than Ever

In this blog post, our Community Engagement Worker, Jane, reflects on how their relationship with Pride has evolved, from celebrating with friends to recognising the importance of standing up for LGBT+ families every single day.

As an LGBT+ family, Pride has always been vitally important to us. It is a time of visibility, celebration, and gratitude—a chance to celebrate that we can be a family thanks to those who came before us, who stood strong and fought the good fight to make way for families like ours to be accepted.

Before having children, we enjoyed Pride in a different way. We would head to Manchester Pride, join in the celebrations, and enjoy the atmosphere, but if I’m honest, the rest of Pride month often passed us by.

For me this began to change as our family grew but especially when I began working for Proud 2 b Parents.

It felt like my bubble suddenly popped. My eyes were opened to the challenges that so many LGBT+ families still face every day. We had been safe inside our own little bubble, letting small things wash over us without a second thought. We would often put microaggressions down to people simply not knowing any different—thinking they didn't realise the impact their words could have on families like ours.

Our bubble was safe. There are days when I wish my eyes hadn't been opened, because life felt easier inside that bubble with my little family. But the work I do now is so important. It's time for more bubbles to pop. It's time for us to stand together and continue fighting the good fight.

Pride started as a riot. People fought so that we could be where we are today. But the reality is that progress has stalled. People are retreating while others are left fighting their daily battles alone, struggling to be seen and heard.

Too many families still cannot simply live their lives free from judgement. Raising our children is not harming anyone. It is not affecting anyone else's daily life. So why should we feel the need to hide parts of ourselves or make ourselves smaller to make others comfortable?

I want my children to be proud of themselves and proud of their family. I want them to step out into a world where they can be their authentic selves and live their best lives. But the truth is, I worry about the future.

Working for Proud 2 b Parents has given me the confidence to stand up not only for my own family but for others too. It has shown me that when something isn't right, we have to say so. We shouldn't have to shrink ourselves so that others can grow.

For me, Pride is no longer just a celebration. It is a fight for our right to exist openly in a world that too often wants us to hide who we are. But I say no. I say this is our month. Our lives. Our right to live as happily and freely as anyone else.

Pride is more important to me now than it has ever been before. And it isn't just about June. Every day, I choose to live authentically. Every day, I choose to work for a charity that creates safer spaces for our community. Every day, I choose to advocate for our rights in healthcare, education, and anywhere else our voices need to be heard.

Pride isn't just something I celebrate. It's something I live.

by Jane.