All posts by : Support U

Pride. What started some 46 years ago as a march in remembrance of the Stonewall Riots was now become a global tradition celebrated with parades, brightly coloured floats and notable individuals.

Today’s annual events have become a key and pivotal global celebration of LGBT diversity and history, which attracts millions of people from a wide variety of backgrounds.

On June 28th 1969, members of New York’s LGBT Community took to the streets in protests against police raids on the Stonewall Inn, an event which later became known as the Stonewall Riots. In response to the Riots in June; Craig Rodwell, Fred Sargeant, Ellen Broidy and Linda Rhodes proposed the first Pride March in New York City.

This was to act as an annual reminder to the rest of the city and the country of the inequality in civil rights that LGBT people face. The first march took place on June 28th 1970 to mark the first anniversary of the stonewall riots, with similar marches taking place in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago.

It only took a couple of years before the Gay Pride March became a global event as by the end of 1972, there were marches across Europe and across America. Over the years Pride has developed and changed but the Parade has remained a constant part attracting many to this colourful spectacle. They often play host to many openly LGBT or LGBT allied celebrities who come and show their support.

The month of June has become internationally recognised by many including President Obama and Clinton as Pride Month which looks to commemorate the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, as a result many Pride events are held around the world during June to recognise the impact that LGBT people have had in the world.

What makes Pride such an interesting and unique celebration is there no two events and the differences are mainly attributed to cultural differences. In the historical home of Pride – New York, they look to focus on the family aspect of LGBT life by organising family film nights which look to get the whole family involved with Pride.

Whilst in Sydney they host a Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, where one of the main attractions is the Fair Day in which more than 80,000 people visit Victoria Park in the centre of the city. However in Tokyo, they use Pride or ‘Rainbow Week’ to educate through a series of public lectures and workshops. However the message remains the same, one of togetherness, acceptance and love.

Pride has become more than a commemoration of Stonewall, but a celebration of all things LGBT. Regardless of how Pride is celebrated around the world the message has always been the same. One of: Togetherness, Acceptance and Love.

To find a pride event near you, check out Gay Pride Calendar

With the sun shining we took advantage and took to the garden and let’s face it, it did need sorting out. With the help of additional volunteer’s as well as the Landlord and his wife, we were able to clear the garden in little over a morning. It’s safe to say that we were surprised at how fast the garden can grow and even more surprising to find what was lurking under the bushes.

Amongst the weeds and foliage were a Kayak Paddle, a Stereo and a Cast Iron Press among an army of Ants and other such creepy crawlies these were just some of the highlights. After all the extensive manual labor we are proud and happy to reap the benefits of our new open space with planning a number of events including a possible summer BBQ. We are still in need of a full plan for the area and welcome any thoughts as to what you think it should be.

Support U, has become a Stonewall training partner for their train the trainer courses within the Thames Valley and the South-West. Support U is one of 60 organisations around the country to offer this stonewall training.

The train the trainer courses look to equip schools and their staff the knowledge and skills in order to tackle Homophobic, Biphobic and Transphobic (HBT) bullying. The main focus is to develop the confidence and skills of school teachers in being able to tackle such bullying as well as celebrating the differences and diversity within schools. The course also helps schools and teachers to understand the legal and Ofsted requirements under ongoing changes to the law and inspection frameworks. With separate courses for Primary and Secondary schools the initiative is part of the department for educations focus on tackling HBT bullying within young people.

Homophobic bullying is the second most frequent form of bullying in schools after bullying about weight. 55 per cent of lesbian, gay and bisexual young people say they have experience homophobic bullying. Nine in ten teachers want to tackle the problem, but have never been trained on how to prevent and respond to homophobic bullying. Research conducted by the University of Cambridge highlight the detrimental impact this is having on the future of school children with attendance, attainment and future educational choices being effected.

Support U CEO Andrew Stonehill-Brookes; “We are really proud that Support U has become a Stonewall training partner. Homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying is a major problem within schools and is a problem that looks set to continue. Here at Support U we have a wealth of knowledge and experience in dealing with homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying putting us in a good position to deliver this training.”

For more information about these courses or to book on one of these courses please look at the train the trainer section of the website at: https://www.supportu.org.uk/stonewall-teacher-training.php

The 31st March is International Transgender Day of Visibility, a day to celebrate and empower the Trans* community.

TDoV is not just a celebration of the Transgender population, but also aims to raise awareness of the Trans* community and tackle the transphobia and discrimination faced by many.

Transgender Day of Visibility was founded by Michigan based Trans* activist Rachel Crandell in 2009, in response to the lack of LGBT+ days that celebrate the Transgender and Transsexual community. The only other well-known day focusing on Transgender related issues is the Transgender Day or Remembrance, which mourns the loss of transgender people who have fallen victim of hate crime.31

In keeping with today, we bring you Sophie, a local resident to Reading and a member of the Trans* community. She is fortunate to work within the IT industry where both the company and her colleagues are accepting and supportive of her.

Here at Support U we offer support, guidance and friendship to those who are or think they may identify within the Trans* Community, through our R-Trans group who meet on the 2nd Saturday of every month.