Pride Festivals in the South East 2016

by Articles of Interest

We’ve put together a list of the Pride and Diversity festivals taking place in the South East in 2016. Find out more about each festival by clicking their website link.

What is Pride?
Pride festivals continue to be an important mark in LGB and T history to reflect and celebrate on the history and changes that affect and benefit Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender people.

What Pride festivals are in my area?
We’ve put together an extensive list of Pride festivals you may not know about in and around the South East area, take a look below:


bournemouth-prideBournemouth Pride – July 8th – 10th
Bourne Free is Bournemouth’s LGBT Pride Festival. It is an annual celebration of all diversities that live in Bournemouth.

Visit the Bournemouth Pride Website

essex-pride-logoEssex Pride – July 2016 (Date TBC)
Essex Pride is an annual celebration of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) life in Essex and beyond.

Visit the Essex Pride Website

herts-prideHerts Pride – Date TBC
The Hertfordshire Pride Society is a group of friendly, passionate, creative volunteers from the local (LGBTQ) community and their straight allies.

Visit the Herts Pride Website

pride-londonPride in London – 25th June 2016
The Pride Festival will run from Saturday 18 June until Sunday 26 June, with the Parade and main events taking place on Saturday 25 June.

Visit the Pride in London Pride Website

kent-prideKent Pride – Date TBC
Our aim is to create a LGBT Pride event on an annual basis to promote equality within one of the most deprived parts of Kent which is also community with a high LGBT population.

Visit the Kent Pride Website

portsmouth-pridePortsmouth Pride – Date TBC
The most colourful parade Portsmouth has ever seen, followed by some fantastic singers and entertainers at the Portsmouth Pride Variety Show on Southsea Common.

Visit the Portsmouth Pride Website

oxford-prideOxford Pride – 4th June 2016
Oxford Pride is a celebration of lesbian, gay, bi, trans and queer life in Oxfordshire. The events  promote awareness of LGBT issues by providing information, education and entertainment in a safe and encouraging environment.

Visit the Oxford Pride Website


reading-pride-logoReading Pride – TBC
Reading Pride works throughout the year to promote equality and to celebrate the very best of the LGBT+ community.  FREE-to-enter Pride Parade & Festival.

Visit the Reading Pride Website

wiltshire-prideWiltshire Pride – Date TBC
Swindon Pride was launched in 2008, with the first ever Pride festival being held in Swindon. In 2009, the Pride event was expanded to incorporate Swindon & Wiltshire Pride.

Visit the Wiltshire Pride Website

Sexuality and Gender Spectra

by Articles of Interest

I believe in a Sexuality Spectrum, with Lesbian/Gay at one end, Straight at the other and all variations in-between. I also believe in a Gender Spectrum, with male and female at either end and all variations between. Throughout these spectra you find asexual people, and people living outside of binary genders.

During my childhood I was told many stupid things; like if you used moisturiser you were gay. There were no openly queer people and rural poverty, ignorance & lack of transport meant that I lived in constant fear that my “true self” would be found out.

I grew up feeling that boys had less freedom than girls to experiment with their sexuality and gender roles. If a girl kissed a girl on the high street that was OK. But a boy would get his face smashed in if he tried to kiss a boy. Girls could wear “boys” clothes like hoodies and baggy jeans but boys couldn’t wear “girls” clothes. I wanted to be a girl and be free to wear pretty things and kiss boys.

Then I discovered the internet and moved to London. For the first time in my life I felt free and I loved it!

I started challenging the gender binary system. I wore “women’s” clothes to various TG/TV clubs such as Way Out, Stunners, Legs and went out “dressed” to more everyday places. I made friends with Transgender Women and all those in-between, Transvestites, Crossdressers, Drag Queen’s and Hairy Panty Wearers were some of the terms I encountered. Many terms were said in a derogatory way with negative connotations. I discovered that, although I do not like the male gender role I do not at present wish to transition into a female. I prefer the terms Gender Fluid and Gender Queer as they imply that I can just be myself.

In practice though it is hard to be Gender Fluid; in the workplace dress codes currently discriminate against men who wish to break away from the gender binary. I was told by a former line manager that my shorts at work were unacceptable despite her skirt being shorter than my shorts. I had shaved my legs the night before, bought smart knee length shorts and was pleased that in the hot weather, I could finally show off my legs as per the women in my office. I was left feeling humiliated with a sense, yet again, of a curtailment of freedom of expression.

I’m aware that the dress codes we have in our offices today come from a patriarchal society originally intended to subjugate women. I support feminism, because equality for both sexes, indeed for everyone, is my goal. But men too can suffer from our current gender binary system and this needs to be acknowledged.

A sexuality binary system exists in the minds of some gay men too and it isn’t just straight men who can be narrow minded. For instance a gay male friend of mine once said “bi men don’t exist, they’re just gay men who can’t accept that they’re gay.” I corrected him by saying that yes I do exist, and so do many others.

Some men refused to acknowledge my bisexuality when I first started going out “dressed”. I was far from “convincing”, but lots of men “accidentally” fell into the clubs and went home to bed with me saying that they were 100% straight.

Some men like relationships and sex with woman and also like sex with men. But historical stigma means that they will not admit to being bisexual. There is evidence to back this up.

https://yougov.co.uk/news/2015/08/16/half-young-not-heterosexual/

“With each generation, people see their sexuality as less fixed in stone. The results for 18-24 year-olds are particularly striking, as 43% place themselves in the non-binary area.”

Bisexuality

Bisexuality

Whereas you only have to go onto Trans or gay dating sites to see thousands of older men who are married and/or in the closet who claim to be straight but want to sleep with men and/or people of Trans orientation.

Younger generations seem far more receptive to the idea of sexuality and gender spectrum’s. Trans Women and Men are thankfully starting to get rights and acceptance, though still a long way to go. And Bisexuals are becoming more visible.

However in my opinion there still needs to be greater recognition for those who don’t want to transition but who are Gender Fluid and just want to be themselves.

Support U at Reading’s Hate Crime Vigil

by Articles of Interest

Saturday evening marked the national Hate Crime Vigil for Hate Crime Awareness Week which took place at Forbury Gardens, hosted by Support U.

This year we teamed up with Jamie Wake, and ACRE (Alliance for Cohesion and Racial Equality) to deliver a range of guest speakers to mark an important time for all the diverse communities across Reading.

The Hate Crime Vigil was an initiative established by the 17-24-30 organisation which represents the dates that the three London nail bombs were planted, 17th April & Brixton Market, Brixton, 24th April & Brick Lane and the 30th April & the Admiral Duncan, Soho.

Alarming Statistics

This week it was reported that nationally the number of reported cases of hate crime has increased by 18% since the previous year. As part of this increase, the number of homophobic hate crime also saw a national increase of 22%.

How do I report a Hate Crime?

If you or someone you know think ís they have been the victim of a hate crime then it is important that it gets reported to the police so it can be investigated and possibly stopped from happening to someone else.

Police ñ In an emergency call 999 or non-emergency 101.
Crime Stoppers – 0800 555 111
Stop Hate UK – Helpline 0800 138 1625
(LGBT Helpline 0808 801 0661)

National Hate Crime Awareness Week

by Articles of Interest

Another week and another good cause to raise awareness of, this week has been focused around hate crime and is run in partnership with many organisations and police forces around the country. The purpose of this week is to tackle the various issues that surround hate crime, and raise awareness of what is classed as a hate crime and how to go about reporting it.

This week we have been standing together with Thames Valley Police to inform the people of Reading about Homophobic, Biphobic and Transphobic hate crime. It was a great chance to meet with many of you to discuss all elements of hate crime, two questions that many of you seemed to ask was what the hate crime figures for Reading were? And what is classed as a hate crime? Hopefully through this post we will be able to answer both of these and many other questions you may have.

So what are the latest figures for reading?

This week it was reported that nationally the number of reported cases of hate crime has increased by 18% since the previous year. As part of this increase, the number of homophobic hate crime also saw a national increase of 22%. In Reading this figure is very different, in the last quarter (July – Sept) there were 180 reported hate crimes of which 11% were LGBT related.

We don’t directly know what causes the increase in hate crime figures if it’s just more cases occurring, increase in the number being reported or increased methods of reporting by the police and other services. One thing is clear is that week’s such as this are making a difference in helping to spread the message of hate crime awareness and tackling the issues at hand, head on.

What classes as a Hate Crime?

This is such a broad question but the answer is very simple. Hate crimes are acts of violence or hostility towards an individual based on a set of characteristics that make them who they are. The difference between this and ‘generic’ crime is that it is motivated by hate due to personal characteristics differences such as: race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.

How do I report a Hate Crime?

If you or someone you know think’s they have been the victim of a hate crime then it is important that it gets reported to the police so it can be investigated and possibly stopped from happening to someone else. There are many different ways in which you can report a hate crime, whether you are the victim or witness.

Police – In an emergency call 999 or non-emergency 101.

Crime Stoppers – http://www.crimestoppers-uk.org, 0800 555111

Stop Hate UK – Helpline 0800 138 1625 (LGBT Helpline 0808 801 0661)

Been a victim or a Hate Crime? Or just want to stand up against Hate Crime? Why not join us and many others in Forbury Gardens for the annual hate crime vigil.  https://www.facebook.com/events/879025985508673/