Hi there!

It's the 25th of June as I write this so I figured the time was optimal for me to wish you all a happy Pride! Wherever you are in the world, whatever you're doing/half-doing while reading this, I want you to know that support and acceptance are a thing in this world that may seem far away, but is 100% tangible and deserves to be shared.

2017 is a pivotal year, still, for Pride. It's been two years since the legalisation of gay marriage in the US, and four years since its legalisation in the UK. The twelfth of June also saw the first anniversary of the Pulse attack in Orlando, an event I encourage everyone, within the community and outside of it, to reflect on.

Not only is 2017 a pivotal year for Pride, but it's also a pivotal year for politics, and at the heart of it, tolerance. I can't say that I'm aware of every policy a party stands for, but I can say that the recent themes of unrest and judgement towards people different to oneself are accelerating at an alarming rate, and are in need of some serious intervention. This is where we, if we want to, can come in. This Pride, whatever's left of today, or tomorrow, or the rest of the week, or June, or the year, can be used to unify people, slowly but hopefully, under a feeling of unity and community like it did when it first began as a commemoration of the Stonewall riots, and like it continues to do to this day. I ask that we are welcoming to those who are confused or unaware, and that we continue to form bonds within the community, and strive to make sure that nobody is left out.

Of course when I began typing I wasn't head-set on the speech above, but here we are. Regardless, I want to wish you all a happy Pride once again and I hope that you are able to celebrate what makes you you, in one sense or another. Please also remember that if you ever feel alone or disheartened or dysphoric or outcasted or anything, there are people and places who can and will help you through it, my inbox included. :D

Okay I'm gonna stop being sappy now and just wish you a happy Pride again because that's a very fun thing to do.

Bye!

-Imi 🏳️‍🌈