Forever flying high

LGBT history month is such a magical, colourful and influential month if you choose to view it that way.

When asked what LGBT history month means to me a thousand thoughts rush to mind, but being a happy-go-lucky type of person I can’t help but burst with pride because of how far the this community has come.

We no longer have to hide who and what we are to please those who are nothing more than closed minded and ignorant.

Of course I am not blinded to the years before my time, which I was fortunate enough to miss, a time when LGBT people were too scared to show their flamboyant personalities and simply dimmed their own sparkle to fit in with society. Well not anymore!

Blood sweat and tears

After years and years of fighting, blood, sweat and tears there was finally a breakthrough in 2002 when same sex couples were legally allowed to adopt children and were seen as ‘good enough’ to give them a life out of the adoption system. It was finally understood that a same sex couple can smother a child with just as much love and care as your average heterosexual couples, we were finally being recognised as ‘normal’ and equal.

Another moment in history was made in 2014 when same sex couples could legally get married in the UK under the Church of England.

It took years for society to realise that the LGBT community simply want nothing more than to love and be loved, just like everyone else but it is such a shame it took so long for that to be understood.

When this Act was put in place I personally felt over the moon, being 20 years old at the time and head over heels in love with my first girlfriend, wedding bells and a family was one of my biggest dreams and they could now actually come true. What a time to be alive and gay!

Like most I have a life plan, I am on a path which I am building as I go along and I have every intention to stand with the LGBT community, fight with the LGBT community and shout with the LGBT community, I want to be a part of a movement that will allow all people whether your young or old, black or white in hundreds of years to come to be who you want to be and those who are not brave enough to fight their own battle we are standing next to you and we will be your voice.

This generation

A lot of hard work has gone into this fight but I believe the one thing that pushed the movement to where it is today was the unity and hope of those who were brave enough to stand up and stand together, this generation must do the same.

Our elders got us here, now it is down to us to continue their legacy and fight till the end.

So to me, LGBT history month is a chance to reflect, get motivated and celebrate but mainly to remember.

Remember those who took their own lives because of others’ opinions, remember those who lived their lives as someone they weren’t and remember all the hard work that has gone into this, into Us.

Our sparkle will not be dimmed and our rainbow flag will forever fly high. We are Gay and we are here!

Pic by Mark Harvey