Pride 2024 and what it's meant for me 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈


As this pride month comes to a close I want to celebrate the first year as attending as my truly authentic self. The euphoria being able to be me has at times been overwhelming, however so affirming.

Yesterday I met some amazing people that just blew me away. Hearing some stories I realised how lucky I am to live in a country I am not killed for being my authentic self, I am not tortured or beaten for my existence. Although it is hard right now for the LGBTQI+ community in the UK , we are actually lucky in so many ways. Pride will remain a riot until we are all free from the bigotry and hate we as a community face. Yes we celebrate too , but celebrating is also rioting, it is showing those we will not be scilenced and as my wife says "our existence is our resistance".
I thank the person who spoke with me and told me how fantastic was to see a person being their authentic selves in a prominent position and they thanked me for being visible as a photographer.

I celebrate the opportunities I have had this year by photographing for Both Oxford and London pride, with pictures being used in my work place of Oxfordshire County Council intranet when I captured staffs moments at Pride.

Not only do I celebrate my wins, I celebrate my wife's , Sarah, who spoke at this year's London Pride, it was impromptu but she did amazing.

I go into this next year learning from my experiences and will continue to fight for Trans Rights and support Trans Youth to get the gender affirming healthcare they desperately need. I would not want my younger self to go through what they are going through when they have been open to their journeys.

It's been a busy month, however the fight continues and will for the other 11 months of the year as we need to be vocal and visible. We have always existed and are not going away.

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