Management committee perspective
My reasons for giving up my precious time for Pride Youth are quite simple- I am a gay woman of nearly 40 years of age and remember vividly the difficulties I faced as a young person coming out to my friends and family. I could spend the rest of this article bemoaning my fate and how difficult life continues to be for me, how the feelings of disapproval never fade, how I suffer verbal abuse in Swindon town centre, how booking a double room in a hotel for holidays fills me with anxiety, how my relationships, are somehow, never viewed by my parents quite as valid as my younger siblings- the list goes on. It may seem to some that society has become very tolerant of homosexuality- but I don't want to be tolerated, I want to be embraced as a valid and meaningful member of the human race.
And that is why I work for Pride Youth…. I have it in my mind that someday we will live in a society where all people will genuinely have equal opportunities and I would like to play some part in achieving that.
As for Pride Youth…it is a great place to come…not particularly because it looks aesthetically pretty!!! It most certainly doesn't, but the welcome is always extremely warm and friendly and it is the ideal environment to ask the questions and explore the subjects that could not be explored elsewhere.
Our members are fantastic and brave individuals who find a lot of strength in each other, and our youth workers are incredibly committed people with a wealth of experience. So if you know someone who would benefit from a chat (young person, mum, dad, teacher, whoever) give us a call. We look forward to hearing from you.
