This year, we're celebrating Pride Month through the inspiring voices of the many people who braved the rain and visited our stall at Northern Pride last year.
At our stall at Northern Pride in 2023, we encouraged people to write a message of hope on our whiteboard. The note could be for someone they know, a stranger, or for themselves. Throughout the day, the messages of hope quickly filled the whiteboard, and by the end of the day they almost covered our entire stall.
Our stall at last year’s Northern Pride
From the many people who stopped by to leave a note, we learned that hope can look different for everyone.
Some of the notes offered light-hearted but kind and encouraging words of wisdom:
Some gave friendly reminders that change is afoot, and things will get better:
And others left us with simple yet powerful messages:
As we sat down to read through the post-its ahead of June, it was so heart-warming to see how many of them shared familiar sentiments and hopeful messages.
As we said before, we’ve learnt that hope can look and feel different for everyone. For some, hope can be kindness, community and solidarity. For others, hope can be looking to the future, and fighting for change. Or, it can be bravery in times that feel tough. Whatever hope looks like for you, we hope that you find something in these messages that resonates with you.
Here’s to a Pride Month full of celebration, community, kindness, and hope!
Find out more about Pride Month – https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/52872693
Find a local Pride event near you – https://gayprideshop.co.uk/pages/uk-ireland-gay-pride-events-calendar-2024