Pride is about people.
It’s about creating a society where everyone feels they belong, where people are respected for who they are, and where differences are valued rather than judged.
Recent events in Durham have shown just how important that sense of solidarity still is. When funding for Pride was pulled, it could have been a moment that knocked people back. Instead, we saw something powerful. The Durham Miners and the TUC Trade Union Council stepped up, showing real, practical support for the LGBT+ community and helping raise funds to keep Pride going. That’s what solidarity looks like.
We’ve also seen the positive impact of Pride closer to home, with the success of York Pride last week bringing people together in celebration, visibility and support. Events like this show just how strong our communities can be when people come together with a shared purpose.
Here in North Yorkshire, UNISON is proud to continue that support. This year, the North Yorkshire UNISON branch will be supporting Scarborough Pride through sponsorship of the Sun Court, helping to ensure the event remains inclusive, visible and accessible to all.
Pride isn’t just a celebration. It’s a reminder.
We need pride in ourselves.
We need pride in each other.
We need pride in being decent human beings who look out for one another.
There’s a growing narrative in some places that tries to dismiss LGBT+ lives as a “political ideology.” That isn’t right. LGBT+ people are not an idea or a debate, they are our colleagues, our friends, our families.
Right now, we’re living in a time where some forms of hate and division are being normalised. That’s exactly why Pride matters more than ever. It gives us a chance to stand together, to be visible, and to say clearly: everyone deserves respect, safety and dignity.
Supporting Pride sends a simple but powerful message, you are welcome here, you are valued, and you can be yourself.
And that’s something worth standing up for.
Local events to look out for:
