What does Pride mean to HETAS and Woodsure team members?
In honour of Pride Month, we decided to give our team members a platform to express what Pride means to them. As we know supporting Pride is important to them. Below you’ll find their words alongside their photo.
Bruce (he/him)
I’m proud to work for an organisation that values people for who they are and positively encourages people to be themselves.
Diversity is a pleasure and an attribute that any organisation should welcome.
Alice (she/her)
Pride to me is about unconditional love and acceptance, about having a community of people who accept you, lift you up and support you regardless of who you are and who you love. It’s a journey of learning new things about yourself and I’m still constantly discovering new things. Part of this journey is listening to people with other lived experiences, to uplift other voices and continue to educate myself. Pride is a celebration, but also a protest. It gives me hope that our continuous fight for equality will leave the world in a better place for future generations.
Alun (he/him)
We all have a responsibility to call out bias and prejudice if we see it. I have seen members of the LGBTQ+ community grow in confidence in who they are through being accepted for who they are.
Pride month is an opportunity for us all to reflect on how we treat those in our communities and do all we can to be open, welcoming and kind to everyone we deal with in daily life, be it in person or online. Through this reflection, we can all grow, change, embrace and enjoy life, not just during Pride month, but for good.
Lily (they/them)
Pride to me is about celebrating who I am free from judgement. I spent a long time when I was younger trying to mould and fit myself into the perception of someone I thought I should be, but becoming part of my local LGBTQIA+ community gave me the freedom to truly be myself.
I’ve found it easier to express myself as I’ve got older, having gained the knowledge and language to verbalise who I am. I feel optimistic for future generations, given the progress that we’ve made in society, particularly in the UK. But it’s important to remember that Pride began as a protest, which is why I’ll continue to advocate for equal rights for all.
Rob (he/they)
Pride to me is love, plainly and simply. It is an event, a movement, and a platform which allows people who otherwise feel they need to hide part of themselves away to step forward. To find people like them and to find acceptance where they might be afraid to seek it in their day to day lives. To find love, in all of its forms. With every year of Pride, we find better ways to put our thoughts and feelings into words and more souls can breathe a sigh of relief as they are seen, properly, for who they are for the first time. People are fluid, no box works for everyone, and Pride helps those who feel lost find who they are. Pride has a great place in my heart. I am very lucky to have found people early on in my life but even I learn more about myself as the years go on. I hope I can help others to that same point when they are in need of it. To make sure people know they can be who they are without being afraid, that they are accepted, and that they are loved.
Let us know on social what Pride means to you or how you’re celebrating Pride Month.
