What does Pride mean to you?
Aaliyah Ramsey (They/Them. Model, activist and TikToker): Pride to me is about being unapologetically me, without being scared anymore. Before I came out as non-binary and bisexual, I wasn’t my full self, I felt like I was still hiding parts of me. It used to play on my mind all of the time, but finally, being this openly me, I’ve never felt freer!
Char Bailey (She/Her. Coach, mental health advocate and Black Pride educator): Pride means I can relax, Pride means, I got there in the end, Pride means, it’s ok to be you, Pride reminds me I’m not alone and I’m loved.
Jamie Windust (They/Them. Author, presenter and model): For me, Pride is the ability to be able to have autonomy over my own path. It’s about being able to feel proud that my identity supports my life, but isn’t the main character. Feeling prideful in yourself is about noticing when your existence and identity seamlessly allow you to just live.
Tanya Compas (She/They. Youth worker, community builder and founder of Exist Loudly): I see Pride as being more of a reminder to CIS-Het people that LGBTQ+ exist, and equally as a reminder that no matter how large the celebration is, not everyone in our community is free to exist as themselves without threat or fear of violence, harm or rejection.