From Protest to Platform
Sunlit summer days bring out the colours and sparkles. Music spills fromanimated characters on moving floats, glitter rains down from balconies, and hand-painted signs wave above a sea of smiling faces. But beneath the joy lies a deeper question: is Pride really still necessary in 2025?
Ask any LGBT advocate from Glasgow to Brighton and beyond, and they will tell you it isn’t just a party. It’s a platform. It’s a reminder.
Pride started as a protest rather than a celebration. Rooted in the 1969 Stonewall Uprising, LGBT people stood against police brutality and discrimination. That act of defiance ignited a worldwide movement and the modern Pride parade. The spirit of that first march lives on.
Stonewall said almost two-thirds of LGBT people in the UK still avoid holding hands in public because they fear abuse. Last year, anti-trans hate crimes rose by 37%, the Home Office says. For many, these statistics are lived experiences.
Reclaiming the Message
In recent years, there has been growing discussion around so-called “LGBTQ+ fatigue,”particularly linked to debates over safety and fairness in women’s spaces and sport.Some feel that conversations around women’s rights have been shut down.
Central to these concerns is the issue of self-identification — or “self-ID” — policies, which allow individuals to legally identify their gender without medical or legal gatekeeping. Supporters argue this affirms human dignity and autonomy, while critics raise concerns about the real-world implications for sex-based protections.
Modern Pride Is Evolving
UK parades are becoming more inclusive and community led. Events like Glasgow’s Mardi Gla, London Trans Pride, and UK Black Pride champion intersectionality and visibility for voices historically marginalised within the LGBT umbrella. Some in the community feel this branching off dilutes the original ethos of the all-encompassing rainbow flag. Others see it as necessary, diverse branches of one family tree.
Simultaneously, people are becoming wary of co-optation. Some within the community have complained that LGBT spaces, once sanctuaries of identity and struggle, are being exploited by those outside and inside the community for visibility, profit, or other unrelated political causes.
“Pride used to stand for equality of LGBT people,” says Michael, an attendee at the parade. “Now, I feel like people turn up for different reasons. There are political flags and banners here. For me, that’s not what Pride is about. I’m a live-and-let-live type of person and I support people’s rights but I want this parade to stay rooted in our community.”
Grassroots organisers want sober spaces, accessibility improvements, and more educational programming. Youth-led collectives, online campaigns, and digital archives help younger generations understand Pride’s historical context and build on it.
Technology has made Pride more visible. Social media amplifies LGBT voices worldwide, but digital backlash and online harassment have also increased. Despite this polarised climate, Pride remains a safe space both offline and in person.
Unity in Diversity
For those asking whether it’s still needed, the numbers and the people say yes. Most importantly, it’s about LGBT people living safely and equally in our communities, cities, and towns. And it is all about shaping the future as well as remembering the past.
“Pride is a place where I feel safe and accepted,” says Cole, a participant in the march. “I’m disabled and I identify as trans. It hasn’t been easy — people don’t always take me seriously. I get nervous about going out, but here I feel happy.”
It’s important to remember LGBT is a community and not a monolith. There are differing thoughts, feelings, values, and opinions and we must create space for this reality to be accepted and explored.
In 2025, Pride isn’t just a party it’s a promise. A promise to keep showing up for equality, dignity, and safety. It’s a call for shared responsibility to stand up for one another whether LGBT or not, to support our diverse voices, and move beyond division towards genuine unity.
