Dr Lee J Moore talks Pride

By Head of Physics, Dr Lee Moore

June is when the world celebrates LGBTQ+ Pride Month. But what is Pride Month all about? If I was to distil it down to its essence, Pride is the opposite of shame. For centuries we have had the idea reinforced to us through social beliefs, politics and policies, and the media that heterosexual, cisgender people are the ‘norm’ and that anything other than that is perceived to be ‘different’. Whilst society is becoming much more liberal and progressive, these ‘norms’ have become second-nature and are projected into movies, stories, adverts, and online. Queer people growing up with these ‘norms’ (and not “fitting the mould”) can therefore develop a deep rooted sense of shame; Pride is an antithesis to this.

Pride today might look like a party, but it began as a protest. The first Pride marches took place in New York in 1970, commemorating the Stonewall Riots of 1969. The first Pride March in London was in July 1972 with approximately 2000 attendees. This year therefore marks the 50^th anniversary of Pride in London, returning after a 2 year hiatus. A lot has happened in LGBTQ+ history since then, with Pride marches becoming bigger and bigger. When we last marched in 2019, almost 30,000 individuals were involved with over 600 groups attending, and it is estimated that 1.5 million came to support the parade.

Why do we need to continue to celebrate Pride? London can often feel like something of a liberal bubble, and we are lucky to be in a school like Alleyn’s which endeavours to be an inclusive environment. But there is still progress to be made, and social injustice remains a reality for many of us. Many members of the LGBTQ+ community still feel a deep rooted shame about who they are, and it is therefore important that we celebrate Pride and the entire spectrum of humanity. There are so many things that heterosexual couples take for granted, such as holding their partner’s hand or giving them a kiss when in public, without fear of verbal or physical abuse. It is the sad reality that all same-sex couples will, at some point, suffer homophobic abuse for attempting to express affection for their partner.

This year’s theme for Pride in London is #AllOurPride, commemorating the past 50 years of Pride in London and the strides that have been made towards equality and acceptance for the LGBTQ+ community. Alleyn’s will be joining Dulwich College, JAGS, Sydenham High School and The Grey Coat Hospital School in the Pride in London 2022 marches, celebrating our pride as a community and our commitment to inclusivity and diversity within our schools.

So why do we celebrate Pride? We celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, promote acceptance and equality; we raise awareness of issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community, and remember how damaging homophobia was and continues to be. Pride is the opposite of shame, so be proud of who you are, no matter who you love.