So now we come into another Pride month where that recent loneliness is still at the forefront of many people’s experiences alongside a continuing fear of the future. Throughout the UK, there is growing stigma towards LGBTQ+ people, which was further proven in May as the government debated whether or not to make non-binary a legal gender , where Miriam Cates, Conservative MP, claimed that the rise in young people identifying as trans and non-binary was due to “indoctrination”. Writing from personal experience, if you’re already struggling with isolation due your identity, there is little as discouraging as seeing the people who are supposed to keep you safe: your government, friends, family relaying news stories that threaten your fundamental right to live.

As much as we’ll be brushing down our most glittery outfits at some point over June (and again in August for Manchester!), we have a priority as a community and as allies to put these prevailing issues first. It’s not enough for companies to slap a rainbow sticker on things and call themselves allies anymore. It can’t be that people participate in the celebration of pride on one hand, without acknowledging the changes that need to be made on the other. We’re sure that this month will see many fickle posts on social media as businesses align themselves with the LGBTQ+ community for a single month before returning to noticeable silence for the rest of the year. There’s a need for proactive change throughout the UK to ensure our rights get better and continue to protect vulnerable people who need them the most.