Pride month isn’t only a time for celebration, it is a reminder that joy for many LGBTQ+ people is hard won, in a world that often meets queerness with hostility, just existing with pride is a radical act. To live openly, to love without shame, to laugh in a world that tries to silence you, that’s queer joy and it matters because right now, in the UK, that joy is still under attack.

The reality behind the rainbows:

Despite growing visibility, violence against queer communities is rising. Hate crimes against LGBTQ+ people in England and Wales have more than doubled in the past five years, by the end of March 2023, over 33,000 anti-LGBTQ hate crimes were recorded. For trans people the rise is even steeper, with incidents increasing by 186% in that same year.

Public spaces don’t always feel so safe. Many LGBTQ+ people, especially those who are black or brown, visibly trans or gender non-conforming, experience harassment for just walking down the streets. Two thirds report feeling unsafe using public transport.

There’s also inside the homes, workplaces and schools that unease continues. Nearly 40% of  LGBTQ+ workers in the UK hide who they are at work to avoid discrimination.

These statistics aren’t abstract, they reflect a day to day reality where safety, visibility and acceptance are still not guaranteed.

Why joy is resistance:

When being yourself comes with risk, joy becomes a form of resistance.

Queer joy isn’t naive. It doesn’t ignore the pain, the struggle, or the history. It knows all of that and still dares to be happy. It’s in the drag performers bringing life to a community space. It’s in the quiet handhold between partners on a busy street. It’s in trans people celebrating themselves without apology.

Joy, in this context, is healing. It’s a connection. It’s proof that queer life doesn’t just survive, it thrives.

This pride let’s choose both celebration and action:

We can’t talk about Pride without honouring both sides of the story: the love and the loss, the joy and the fight. Because to protect queer joy, we need more than rainbows. We need safety, representation, solidarity and change

This Pride Month, let’s hold space for the complexity, grief and celebration, rage and hope. Let’s support queer lives not just in June, but all year. Because joy is powerful and right now, we need it more than ever.