What Trans*Pride means to me

Kit Roskelly explains what Trans*Pride means to him.

“This time last year, I went to Britain’s first ever Trans* Pride.

I got talking to a group of people who had travelled down from Leeds to attend, and were inspired to go back and run their own event. I heard musicians and writers telling the world, with passion and intensity, what it means to be them. I sat on the grass, surrounded by people like me, and felt safe and secure. I watched a tough young poet power on as a thunderstorm washed away their audience. Later I danced at the evening event, saw more awesome acts, and stayed out late celebrating the diversity of gender. It was a fantastic day, and this year’s event looks set to be every bit as good.

“With LGB Pride a firm fixture in the annual calendar of every city I’ve lived in – and nowhere more so than here in Brighton – it feels strange to say that Trans* Pride in the UK is not even a year old yet.

“But as we’ve seen from the evolution of the LGB Pride movement, events like this don’t fade away while they’re still needed. They make a space for people to be present and proud, to connect with others who share their experiences, to demand equality and to celebrate uniqueness.

“And for those who weren’t there last year, but who will come along in future, for those who are just beginning to question their gender, or experiencing the isolation that coming out as Trans* can plunge you into, it’s especially important that there’s a wonderful group of people raising the pink-white-and-blue flag, and saying “We’re here. You are not alone.”

“I was privileged to be there last year, I’ll be there this year, and I hope for many more years to come.”