Prospect members show their support at Pride
Prospect has been supporting members in the LGBT+ community by joining in Pride events across the country this summer.
In the past fortnight the union has been at Norwich, Belfast and Plymouth Pride.
Norwich
Prospect marched with members at the Norwich Pride on 29 July – the first time the union has attended this parade.
It had been a lively and fun day, said Oliver Williams. “This was the first time I have marched at Pride with an official banner and it made the event even more fun and purposeful. It was great to see so many other unions and organisations joining together to celebrate and support the LGBT community in Norwich. I can’t wait to do it all again next year, hopefully with even more members joining us.”
Belfast
Prospect reps Claire Mullaly and Paul Stewart led the union’s delegation at Belfast Pride on 5 August. Prospect had a great turnout on the day, marching jointly with the National Trust. The joint VW camper van and Prospect LGBT+ banner made sure we stood out from the crowd.
“This Pride has been a watershed in Northern Ireland,” said Claire.
“For the first time ever, the PSNI and Garda police forces from north and south marched in the parade. The Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar was also in Northern Ireland attending Pride events.
“Organisations such as BT and the National Trust marched for the first time. It was a joyous, inclusive march focused on love, and moving forwards on equality.”
Plymouth
Prospect, Babcock and the National Trust marched and hosted stalls at Plymouth Pride on 5 August. The day started with a parade through the city centre to the Hoe, where the entertainment continued into the evening.
It was a great day for our reps, members and their families, and Prospect was proud to be one of the event’s major sponsors.
Adrienne Russell, who led Prospect’s efforts at Plymouth, said: “It was nice to see so many LGBT+, allies and their families enjoying the event and parade.
“There was a happy vibe, with stalls, music, fairground rides and bouncy castles – everyone enjoying themselves on a glorious day on Plymouth Hoe.”
Prospect organiser Rob Lauder said the union’s involvement in these events demonstrated its commitment to LGBT+ members and their rights.
“By showing our support for the LGBT+ community we can help to push the equality agenda forward in the workplace and in wider society.”
He thanked all the members who had joined in the Pride events.
All Prospect members are welcome to join the LGBT+ network by emailing [email protected] or logging into prospect.org.uk/member/activities