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The C-Word

An Announcement From Gravesham Pride

The coronavirus (COVID-19) is presenting a new challenge for everyone and Gravesham Pride CIC is no exception.

Over the past few weeks we have been monitoring the emerging situation and reviewing our plans daily by following the latest advice from the World Health Organisation and the UK government.

In light of the recommendations made yesterday, Gravesham Pride CIC feel that inline with our duty of care to keep the community safe, it would be irresponsible for us to ignore the potential risks from holding our planned public fundraisers.

With this in mind, it is with a very heavy heart that we have decided to postpone the 80ʼs Disco on the 21st March and the Quiz on the 26th March until further notice.

We realise this is disappointing however, we hope that you understand our reasoning behind this decision.

For refunds, we would ask that you do not contact committee members directly and e-mail contact@graveshampride.org instead.

Please bare in mind that we are a non-profit community interest company operated entirely by volunteers who are not only organising Pride and managing our own lives but also facing the same levels of uncertainty and anxiety as everyone else during this challenging time therefore, there may be a slight delay in responses.

WHAT ABOUT PRIDE 2020?

Our priority has always been to deliver a safe and successful event but we will admit that the coronavirus (COVID-19) has presented us with new challenges.

Whilst the current situation regarding COVID-19 is concerning, with the 15th August 2020 being several months away Gravesham Pride CIC have decided not to cancel the event and we will continue with the project. However, we have already begun contingency planning.

We will continue working with local authorities and monitoring the situation regularly by following the latest advice from the World Health Organisation and the UK government. We will then implement appropriate plans according to their guidelines and keep the community informed.

WHAT ARE WE DOING ABOUT COVID 19?

As representatives of the LGBTQI+ community, Gravesham Pride CIC understand that many of us are already isolated and this difficult time will add to an already vulnerable community.
With this in mind;

We have allocated members of our team to volunteer with the Gravesham COVID-19 Mutual Aid Group with the main priorities being to assist those who are elderly, disabled and/or immune compromised during this uncertain time.
We have allocated members of our team to create interactive online content which will alleviate boredom and social isolation.
We are working on a service to connect isolators with registered mental health first aiders.

ANY ADVICE?

Gravesham Pride CIC are not health professionals and therefore we cannot offer advice regarding tackling coronavirus (COVID-19).

However, as human beings we urge you to keep up to date with the latest advice from the World Health Organisation and the UK government via reputable sources rather than relying upon the media alone.

lgbtq+ BAME

Lesbian wedding of Pakistani-Indian couple – wearing sari and…

In a lesbian wedding that showed “love has no borders”, two women – one from India, one from Pakistan – have married in a ceremony wearing traditional outfits. Read more “Lesbian wedding of Pakistani-Indian couple – wearing sari and sherwani” →

LGBTQ+ Parenting

When your child comes out to you – Advice…

Julie Tarney is a diversity and inclusion speaker, advocate for the LGBTQ+ community and author of the award-winning memoir, MY SON WEARS HEELS offers a wealth of advice to those navigating raising LGBTQ+ children from her experience raising her non-binary child Harry. Read more “When your child comes out to you – Advice From My Son Wears Heels Author” →

LGBTQ+ History

Before Pulse Nightclub – The UpStairs Lounge: The U.S.A.’s…

The 24th of June in 1973 was a Sunday. For New Orleans’ gay community, it was the last day of national Pride Weekend, as well as the fourth anniversary of 1969’s Stonewall uprising. You couldn’t really have an open celebration of those events — in ’73, anti-gay slurs, discrimination, and even violence were still as common as sin — but the revelers had few concerns. They had their own gathering spots in the sweltering city, places where people tended to leave them be, including a second-floor bar on the corner of Iberville and Chartres Street called the UpStairs Lounge. Read more “Before Pulse Nightclub – The UpStairs Lounge: The U.S.A.’s Second Largest LGBT Massacre” →

LGBTQ+ History

Memories of Britain’s First LGBT+ Pride in 1972

Way back in the early 1970s, The Gay Liberation Front was formed and it was Britain’s first direct action human rights movement of openly lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Read more “Memories of Britain’s First LGBT+ Pride in 1972” →

Law

British government urged to stop Cayman Islands ‘unacceptable’ criminalisation…

The lesbian couple who headed the campaign for equal marriage in the Cayman Islands have said it is “unacceptable” that the UK has not intervened after the ruling was reversed.

Chantelle Day and her partner Vickie Bodden Bush applied for the right to be married in the Cayman Islands, a British territory, but had their application rejected because they are a same-sex couple. Read more “British government urged to stop Cayman Islands ‘unacceptable’ criminalisation of same-sex marriage” →

LGBTQ+ Parenting

These two gay penguins stole an egg so they…

In the latest instalment of gay penguin drama, a pair of same-sex lovebirds have stolen an egg from a straight penguin couple to raise as their own. Read more “These two gay penguins stole an egg so they could start their own family” →

Science and Research

Same-sex attraction reported by one in six women and…

Same-sex attraction is far more common among women than men, a new study by New Zealand’s Ministry of Health has learned.

It found that one in six women (17.6 percent) experience same-sex attraction at some point in their lives, compared to one in 20 men (5.4 percent) . Read more “Same-sex attraction reported by one in six women and one in 20 men, study reveals” →

LGBTQ+ Parenting

Gay Couple Adopt Rejected Baby

The concept and value of family is hardwired into the core of every human being. Yes, you may sometimes hate your older sibling for being mean or think your parents are unfair but at the end of the day, they still love you and you still love them. Read more “Gay Couple Adopt Rejected Baby” →

Homophobia

‘Homophobic’ Little Mix fan outraged by gay gig proposal…

During a show in Manchester Little Mix helped a gay fan propose at their gig which outraged one ‘homophobic’ supporter. Read more “‘Homophobic’ Little Mix fan outraged by gay gig proposal gets absolutely schooled by Twitter” →

Trans

More than 3,000 trans people have been murdered, hanged…

3,317 trans and non-binary people have been recorded as murdered around the world since 2008, but the already shocking number is likely to be much higher.

A report by Transrespect versus Transphobia Worldwide (TvT), initiated by Transgender Europe, has been published every year since 2008 for Transgender Day of Remembrance, listing the recorded murders of trans and gender-diverse people since the last report. Read more “More than 3,000 trans people have been murdered, hanged or burned since proper records began in 2008” →

Services

Hate Crime Reporting App Launched

Hate crimes recorded by police have more than doubled in the past six years, with a 10 per cent increase across England and Wales in 2018-19 which has taken numbers to a new record high. Read more “Hate Crime Reporting App Launched” →

Entertainment

Filmmaker behind last year’s £50 viral Christmas ad is…

Brace yourselves, because this powerful new short-film about a gay couple in a long-distance relationship will destroy LGBT+ people everywhere this Christmas.

The film, called Made For You, was created by Phil Beastall of Anzara Video Production, who made a nation cry last year when his 2014 short-film Love is a Gift – which was made for just £50 – went viral. Read more “Filmmaker behind last year’s £50 viral Christmas ad is back with a gay festive romance that’ll move you to tears” →

Entertainment

Sam Smith says homophobic attack stopped them from expressing…

Sam Smith said they stopped wearing “makeup and female clothing” after they were assaulted aged 19.

2019 has been a transformative year for Smith. The singer came out as non-binary in March and announced that they were switching to they/them pronouns in September. Read more “Sam Smith says homophobic attack stopped them from expressing their femininity sooner” →

Science and Research

More than 1,500 animal species are bisexual and gay…

Scientists have suggested that bisexual mating habits were the “original condition” for all animals that have sex, and that gay sexual behaviours in animals are here to stay. Read more “More than 1,500 animal species are bisexual and gay behaviour is the norm, scientists suggest” →

Homophobia

‘Strictly Come Dancing’s same-sex dance routine sparks nearly 200…

Strictly Come Dancing’s same-sex routine has sparked nearly 200 complaints to the BBC.

On Saturday (November 2), Johannes Radebe teamed up with fellow pro Graziano Di Prima on the BBC ballroom and latin dance show – marking the first ever same-sex dance routine. Read more “‘Strictly Come Dancing’s same-sex dance routine sparks nearly 200 complaints to the BBC” →

Trans

An overwhelming majority of young people think trans people…

Trans people should be allowed to use whatever bathroom they feel most comfortable in because they “are not sexual perpetrators”, said the majority of youth respondents in a study published by the Journal of Homosexuality. Read more “An overwhelming majority of young people think trans people should use whichever bathroom they want” →

Merchandise

What Have We Got In Store For You?

15th August 2020 might seem a long way off yet but here at Gravesham Pride HQ we’re not slacking for a moment.

We’re really excited to announce that our webstore is now open and ready to take orders.

The Gravesham Pride 2020 team want to leave a lasting impression on our borough – we’ve said before that we’re not just in it for the party – and to do that we need to have quality at the forefront of everything we do and that includes the promotional merchandise. With a little help from our friends and neighbours Skewed & Bent, we have a fantastic range of Hoodies, Sweatshirts, Vests and T-Shirts to offer so you can start spreading the word right now.

100% of the profit from all sales will be used to fund our social outreach projects and cover our operational costs, and yes, that includes supporting our work on making Gravesham Pride 2020 a fantastic, inclusive party for all.

We’ll be updating the rails often so look out for posts here in the blog to be the first to hear about about new lines.

If you set up an account with your first purchase we’ll slip you a little thank-you gift too.

You can head over to our store by clicking here or from the main menu up top.

We’d love to know what you think, so if you’ve anything to share you can use one of the contact forms from the contact page.

Discrimination

Center Parcs tells trans woman she can only use…

Center Parcs wants trans people to use the changing room of their “legally defined sex” or else use a private changing room. Read more “Center Parcs tells trans woman she can only use women’s changing rooms if she’s ‘gone through full transition’” →

Homophobia

Man attacked for being gay posts bloody, yet smiling…

A young gay man was harassed and attacked in the streets of a small village in Scotland, but he had a message for the assaulter he shared on social media along with a picture of himself, smiling despite the blood on his face. Read more “Man attacked for being gay posts bloody, yet smiling selfie to send powerful message” →