2024 Pride Month

As the days lengthen and the sun creeps in between the seemingly perpetual rainclouds, the drums begin to beat, the horns blow, and the chants of “We’re here, we’re queer, and we’d like to say hello!” echo across the streets of the world.  Another June, and another month of action for the LGBTQ+ community.  Pride Month.

June was the month of Stonewall.  28th June 1969.  The first Pride march in the UK was in London in 1972, the closest Saturday to the anniversary of that landmark event etched into history.  This year, we march in London on 29th June.  And despite 55 years and many positive changes, the message still needs to reach more ears.

It may seem like Pride is just a celebration.  A month for parties, for music, for costumes.  An opportunity for organisations to post the progress flag across social media, billboards, and buses.  But to us, the LGBTQ+ community, it is still a protest.  It is a protest for fair and equal recognition in all aspects of our lives.  

The UK is slipping down the rankings for LGBTQ+ support and safety in Europe with this year marking a third successive decrease.  Reasons for this drop are the government’s failure to extend a ban on conversion practices to include trans people, abandonment of promised reforms for gender recognition, and the UK Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) publishing guidance saying trans people can be excluded from single-sex spaces.  In many respects, it feels like society is walking backwards.  For trans people it really is.

The hostile rhetoric people in power – and those who seek to gain it – use, and the daily assaults from the mainstream press to stoke people into a ‘Culture War’ against trans people.  All to gain a few votes.  But what do people really care about?  Cost of living, the NHS, the economy, climate change, housing, crime.  This Pride Month, it is time to ignore the manufactured ‘Culture War’ and find what unites us and hold onto it.

June is when most think about the LGBTQ+ community.  We line the streets and wave the flags and paint rainbows on our faces.  But LGBTQ+ people exist all the year.  When the paint is washed off, the paper flags recycled, and the billboards pasted over, we haven’t gone anywhere.  Our challenges are still there.

When the drumbeats fade, the music stops, and the traffic returns to the streets once filled with chants, remember that message.  Pride was not just that moment; it is a movement.  A movement for change.  It is people that make that change.  All people.  Not just the LGBTQ+ community.  And not just the LGBTQ+ cause, but other causes.  It is for us to use our collective power to build a more inclusive world.  

Each and every one of us has a role to play, whether it is through advocating for legislation that safeguards hard-won rights, supporting organisations that provide vital services to communities, or simply being a beacon of acceptance and allyship in our own lives. We should strive for empathy and understanding, recognising that everyone’s journey is unique, our differences should be celebrated and not feared. Embracing our diversity will help to enrich our communities, workplaces, and profession. 

To the members of our profession who may be grappling with their identities or struggling to find acceptance, know that you are not alone, the world is changing, and as you step into your authentic selves, remember that your resilience and authenticity will inspire countless others to do the same.  And to those that might question or condemn – open your mind and seek opportunities to grow and understand.  We are better together than divided. 

The British Veterinary LGBT+ society, is a group that believes we are better together.   Established to fulfil the aim of building a community for LGBTQ+ veterinary professionals and students, the group provides support, friendship, and allyship, whilst campaigning and educating within the profession. Every year we join the thousands marching at London Pride to make our voices heard.  To ensure the message is not ignored.  That fairness and equality is for everyone.  That we are better together than divided. 

But as well as the protest, the march, and the advocacy, we are about community and support.  Each year we hold our member’s weekend (usually a weekend of walking, talking, board games, and a safe and supportive place to be yourself.  We also attend many of the larger veterinary conferences.  Inclusivity is about not restricting attendance by prohibitive costs, so we also support students through our travel grant scheme for attending our events and pride meetings.  

This year we will be marching at London Pride on 29th June; meeting at BVA Headquarters before joining in the parade through London, and this year at Nottingham Pride on 27th July.  If you’re interested in becoming a member or joining us for either event, please check out our website (www.bvlgbt.org) or our social media pages for further information. 

Dr Charlotte S. McCarroll BVMS (Hons) MSc (VetSci) PhD FHEA MRCVS

Head of Veterinary Education

Senior Lecturer in Veterinary Sciences and Education

School of Veterinary Medicine

University of Surrey

Pronouns: She/her

c.mccarroll@surrey.ac.uk