Celebrating 50 Years of Pride at LightSpeed!

We’re celebrating 50 years of Pride this June!

This year, Pride month is commemorating the movement’s evolution from its beginning in the UK in June 1972. In 2019, London Pride saw 1.5 million people celebrate and protest in support of LGBTQ+ Rights, and that number is increasing year by year.

We caught up with a few our LGBTQ+ colleagues at LightSpeed, Chris, Lian and Paige, to hear about their journey, their experiences and to find out what Pride means to them.

What was it like coming out or growing up gay?

Paige realised she was gay when she was aged around 13 to 14 years old and found: “It was a confusing time as it wasn’t really a thing that was openly spoken about at the time, and I didn’t know what this meant for me.”

Lian said, “I knew from a young age I was attracted to women however never really explored my sexuality until about 5 years ago when I jumped online and set up a dating profile to see what talking to women would be like, I haven’t looked back since!”

What does Pride mean to you?

Paige, who enjoys celebrating Pride at Festivals, said: “Pride brings a sense of empowerment to fight for having the same rights as everyone else.”

To Chris, “Pride is a celebration for everybody, inclusivity and to remember how far we’ve come and for those who have fought for us to have the rights that we have today that any “normal” person already has.”

For Lian, “Pride means acceptance regardless of your sexuality and community for people who have potentially had a difficult time coming out or being accepted for who they are and who they love!”

What stigma have you faced/encountered?

Chris faced gender stereotyping when he came out as gay, with people assuming that he would act feminine and only be interested in stereotypically “female” activities, which has never been the case for him.

Paige shared her view that, “older generations can be less accepting of the gay community, depending on their upbringing, and often as a result of a limited exposure to gay communities.” She also shed some light on legal policies in the UK which stigmatise the LGBTQ+ community, such as the NHS requiring gay couples to pay for their IVF treatment, whereas the first few sessions of IVF treatments are free for heterosexual couples.

Lian told us she feels lucky to have not experienced any direct stigma, “I have always been around open minded and fluid people who haven’t cared about my sexuality, therefore, haven’t treated me any different.”

What are LGBTQ communities in rural areas like?

While Chris has found there is generally more acceptance towards LGBTQ+ communities in large cities than smaller rural areas, he said: “Because of Pride this is slowly becoming a thing of the past!”

Lian also said she’s noticed: “A greater sense of community and friendlier neighbours”, after moving to a village close to Fulney Hall in Spalding before beginning her apprenticeship at LightSpeed, compared to a busier town where she used to live.

Chris told us how his friends and the gay community have all come together to support him, and how he hopes movements such as Pride will encourage all communities to come together as one in the future!

A big thanks to Chris, Lian and Paige for sharing their experiences with us.

Happy Pride from all of us at LightSpeed.