Ongoing struggle

The 10th annual Leeds Pride festival and parade on Sunday (August 7) was supported by 40,000 people including many Unite lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) members and their friends and families.

The event is over 40 times larger than when it started in 2007 and the atmosphere was as warm as the sunny weather.

Leading up to the parade, Millennium Square in Leeds City centre was packed as people listened to speakers and singers whilst taking the chance to relax, enjoy some refreshments, observe the colourful scene that included some impressive costumes and meet up with friends.

It was in response to the Stonewall riots in the city, when LGBT persons fought back after the police raided a gay bar the previous year, that New York hosted the first Pride march on June 28, 1970.

This fightback against violence and discrimination inspired the London LGBT community to hold its first Pride in 1972. Hundreds of similar events now take place across the globe and are an important part of the ongoing struggle for LGBT equality rights.

Bus driver and Unite workplace rep, Sharon Wadwell attended the first Leeds Pride in a personal capacity.

In 2009, Unite, as part of its commitment to tackling prejudice and discrimination – which has included successfully organising to bring in laws protecting LGBT people at work – got actively involved and began urging its members to attend.

Sharon, who after being together for 18 years, during which they brought up three children, got married to her wife in 2014, is now chair of the Unite North East, Yorkshire and Humberside (NEY&H) LGBT committee.

Out and proud

Surveying the large crowd on Sunday she remarked “it demonstrates the progress the LGBT community has made. We are Out and Proud. Incidents such as in Orlando, where 49 LGBT people were murdered, need taking seriously but we must not be cowed into surrendering the rights we have won such as the Equalities Act 2010.”

The Unite contingent on the Parade included Marian Stapleton. She is a workmate of Sharon’s at First Bus West Yorkshire, who provided the free bus, which after it was decorated with Unite flags and bunting, was driven by Marian along the Parade route.

Marian is close to completing the gender reassignment pathway that she delayed until a few years ago when her children had grown up.

“I should have changed from being a man to a woman years ago. Once I approached the Leeds Gender Identity Service at Seacroft Hospital then the process to being accepted for hormone treatment and undergoing surgery early next year will be around two and a half years.

“At work everyone has been supportive. The company and Unite have combined to put in place supportive policies for LGBT employees.”

As the large crowd passed through the city it wound its way past Unite’s regional office, outside of which was a well-resourced stall. Staff worked hard to alert marchers to the benefit of joining the union by distributing key rings, wrist bands and Unite materials.

Those many people who stopped to chat were asked to complete a Have Your Say questionnaire requesting them to state their number one LGBT priority from a selection that included international solidarity, tackling hate crime against the LGBT community and ending workplace discrimination.

“Its great people are enjoying themselves. But we aim to show there is still an ongoing struggle to maintain and extend the rights that LGBT people have and that Unite can help. We’ve had a good response to our message today,” said Sue Pollard, the Unite NEY&H regional women’s and equalities organiser.