By Mabel Wellman.
Today marks the start of Pride month across the world.
Cities and towns internationally will be having LGBTQIA+ Pride events, some of which will be for celebrating the entire community, whereas some other events such as Trans Pride and UK Black Pride will be to give a voice to some of the more marginalised communities (with allies including those otherwise in the queer community welcome too). These events can be big marches across their respective region, or they can be small ,intimate affairs.
Nationwide, more and more Pride events are being created. These events regardless of their size are very important, and are run by well meaning individuals who are ready to support their local community. Isolation is a serious issue in the LGBT+ community, and Pride events are some of the larger ways people can meet one another. Trans Pride organisations are being created for many major regions across the UK and Ireland over the past few years, these events in particular focus on the protest and political aspects of Pride.
In Southampton, from June to August, there will be three Pride events for the second year in a row. This starts off with Pride In The Park by Firefly Festivals, Trans Pride Southampton by an organisation with the same name, and Southampton Pride (by Southampton Pride too). These events are expected to bring in crowds of more than 40,000 people who are ready to be celebrate, find friends and fight isolation, and protest against the growing transphobic rhetoric in government.
Pride In The Park will be on the 8th and 9th June. Trans Pride Southampton will be on the 29th June. Southampton Pride will be on the 24th and 25th August.
Elsewhere in the Hampshire, there will be Trans Pride Winchester will be having its first ever event, this will be on the 13th July at Unit 12 Community Centre. Eastleigh Pride will be on September 14th. Portsmouth Pride will be making a fabulous return on the 6th July. Trans Pride Portsmouth and Winchester Pride have recently been set up too, more details will be coming soon about events in 2024 or 2025. So no matter where you live, there should be an event near you to support.
As a Trans Women in the UK, it is hard to feel optimistic this Pride month .There have been endless waves of hostility from the government, particularly aimed at Trans youths, which in turn is making public life more and more hostile. There seems to be an increasingly widespread opinion we are one of few groups it is acceptable to be violent towards. In October last year, it was reported by the BBC that transgender hate crime has increased by 11% compared to 2022 (whereas hate crime as a whole decreased by 5%). This tidal force of hate will only wash away when the whole LGBT+ community and our allies stand with one another in protest on the streets, and on paper in the ballots.
Please share your support to your local events and your local queer community.
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