Pride Month

Pride Month is about LGBTQIA+ communities coming together in celebration and solidarity and is often marked with parades, protest marches, poetry readings, public speaking, educational / awareness raising sessions and many other events.

As well as celebrating, Pride Month is a time for the LGBTQIA+ community and allies to continue to raise awareness of the inequalities and discrimination faced by LGBTQIA+ people around the world and to campaign for equal rights and freedoms for all. 

Celebrating Pride Month in an intersectional way is vital as it recognises that overlapping identities impact the experiences and lives of LGBTQIA+ people throughout history and today.

As examples, a woman who identifies as a lesbian may face a combination of homophobia and misogyny; people who identify as both LGBTQIA+ and an ethnic minority may suffer homophobia, biphobia or transphobia in combination with racism, while disabled members of the LGBTQIA+ community may also experience ableism. This further highlights why intersectional approaches to Pride Month are imperative for us as a community.

Queen Mary University of London are proud to be a university that opens the doors of opportunity to anyone with the potential to succeed. Queen Mary's work to create an inclusive environment for our LGBTQIA+ staff and students is underpinned in our People, Culture, and Inclusion Enabling Plan.

"Each June, Queen Mary University of London recognises the significance of marking Pride Month – one of the most important dates in the LGBTQIA+ calendar.

Dating back to the Stonewall Riots in New York City, June 1969, Pride Month is an opportunity to celebrate and platform the diverse voices of LGBTQIA+ people. It is a time to highlight the progress and achievements that have been made, whilst also acknowledging the challenges that continue to be faced while striving for equality.

At Queen Mary we are incredibly proud of the diversity of our staff and students and the integral part that our LGBTQIA+ community plays in our journey towards becoming the most inclusive university of our kind, anywhere.

This Pride Month I invite you to explore our programme of events, to take the opportunity to find out more about LGBTQIA+ experiences and to consider how you too can play a part in helping to create a future where everyone can be proud to celebrate who they are."

- Dr Philippa Lloyd, Vice-Principal (Policy and Strategic Partnerships)