This weekend was Edinburgh Pride. I went along with colleagues from my work. We meet, do the parade, give away goodies, and then celebrate at the end of the march. Lots of dancing was done, and drink was drunk. However, I have never ever been good at mixing my drinks, and felt ill as soon as I stopped drinking. Rookie error, tbh.

As time goes on, the need for Pride seems to be more important than ever. In the UK, we have an increase in politicians ripping down pride flags, and cancelling events. Trying to silence a community that is already under pressure. Talking about not just restricting trans folk, and their rights, but making gay marriage illegal, gay adoption? It’s horrific, and there is no need for that. It’s 2026, and it feels like civil rights are going backward.

I have always been brought up with the radical idea that you treat those around you with kindness. Yes, we all have different ideas and beliefs, but as long no-one is harming any other person or creature, they should be able to live peacefully. We all have to muddle through this life in one piece, so if being guided by a religion, or dressing a certain way, can help a person navigate the shit show, then it should be fine. They shouldn’t be targeted purely because they are ‘different’ or ‘not normal’.

When I was at school in the 90s, I remember discovering that I didn’t like boys. I didn’t know who to turn to. I didn’t know anyone who was gay. Any other gay girls. So, I went to a teacher, someone at school to talk about it. To ask for advice. Only to be told, that when I met a boy that really likes me, these feelings would go away. I felt broken, that something was wrong. Section 28 banned schools talking about LGBTQ+ themes and issues to pupils. Put in place by the conservative government in 1988. It was put in place to protect the idea of the ‘nuclear family’, and stop children from being ‘indoctrinated’ into the homosexual lifestyle. It was repealed in Scotland in 2000, with England and Wales following in 2003. But for so many queer people, it was too late. Sexual assault, abuse, suicide, queer people suffered.

We are at a point, in 2026, where it honestly feels like Section 28 could come back. LGBTQ+ people in the UK are genuinely scared. There is an effort by the political right wing, where they want to split the LGB from the TQ+. And it is not because they ‘love the gays’, it’s a method of divide and conquer. We need to stand together as a community, because once the ball starts rolling back on human rights, it doesn’t just take out the rights for people you dislike. It comes for all the rights of every marginalised community. It doesn’t stop till we, as a general population, are set back decades.