Pride Month 2024
Pride Month represents a unique opportunity for us all to reflect on who we are as a diverse University community and to show up to support our LGBT+ colleagues and students, enhancing their voice and understanding the difficulties they face, while celebrating the valuable contributions they make to life at the University.
There are several important initiatives and activities that the University is involved with throughout the year to support and raise awareness of the issues and barriers that are faced by Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans (LGBTQ+) people both in the UK and across the world. By listening to and working with our LGBTQ+ community our goal is to move towards the elimination of discrimination and unfair treatment on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation.
LGBTQ+ listening exercise
Against a backdrop of changing attitudes towards LGBTQ+ people in the press, social media, and political rhetoric in the UK and internationally, we ran a workshop in April 2023 to enable our LGBTQ+ staff and students to provide their views.
Together, our LGBTQ+ community came up with 26 actions. Some of those have already been met and others, which we have organised into five themes that we will need to be developed.
York Pride Parade - 1 June
This year the University will take part in the York Pride parade, marching from the Minster to the Knavesmire on Saturday 1 June, where we welcome all members of our community to join us and to stand in solidarity with our LGBTQ+ community.
If you would like to join us for the parade, we will be meeting on Blake Street between 11am and 11.20am (outside McDonalds).
The University is also hosting a pride-themed stall at the racecourse, with a variety of family-friendly activities and contributions from departments across the University.
If you have any questions about the parade or if you would like to get involved by volunteering to be a UoY marshall, please contact equality@york.ac.uk.
Raising the Progress Pride flag - 5 June
We will be continuing our tradition of raising the Progress Pride Flag on Greg’s Place on Wednesday 5 June, 12 noon to 12.45pm to mark the start of the Pride Month. Come along to hear from colleagues as we raise the flag. This event will be sponsored by UNISON in recognition of UNISON’s Year of LGBT+ Workers. Unison will be providing refreshments and cakes.
Please be aware that photography and video recording will take place during the Progress Pride flag raising event, which may be used for marketing purposes by the University of York. If you have any concerns or would prefer not to feature, please email communications-support@york.ac.uk. For further information about how we use photography or video which includes you please see our privacy notice.
We would like to invite all members of our community to join us for these Pride Month celebrations, and if you would like more information about how you can get involved in any of these activities, please contact us at equality@york.ac.uk.
What's on
Find details below of the events that we're organising; you can also find them on our Celebrating Diversity Events Series calendar - and if you subscribe to the calendar, or to individual events, the details will be added to your own Google calendar so you don't miss things that you're interested in!
University of York events
- Sunday 2 June, 3.30pm to 5.30pm
- City Screen Picturehouse, Coney Street
Join us for StreetLife's 'Queer Walk of York', an LGBTQI+ heritage trail of sites of significance to the city's queer communities. This walking tour will highlight sites of both historical and current relevance, and aims to uncover further stories, anecdotes and memories exploring the experience of being and growing up LGBTQI+ in York.
- Sunday 2 June, 7pm to 8pm
- Tempest Anderson Hall, Museum Gardens
During York’s Pride weekend, find out what it was like to be part of the UK’s first Pride march in London with York trailblazer Stuart Feather. Brought up in Acomb, Stuart was one of the original members of the Gay Liberation Front (GLF) which organised the first London Pride rally on 1 July 1972 in central London. Presented in collaboration with York Civic Trust and Make It York, organisers of the York Trailblazers initiative.
- Sunday 2 June, 2pm to 3.30pm
- Holy Trinity Church, Goodramgate
Anne Lister’s story was brought to international fame by the BBC and HBO series Gentleman Jack. Immerse yourself in Anne’s 19th-century world on a guided walking tour exploring her loves in York.
- Monday 3 June, 6pm to 7pm
- Online only
Journalist Katie Barnes traces the evolution of women's sports as a pastime and a political arena, where equality and fairness have been fought over for generations.
- Saturday 8 June, 4.30pm to 5.30pm
- Law and Sociology Building, Campus East
Ancient historian and author Jean Menzies discusses how Greek myths are being reclaimed and reimagined by LGBTQ+ writers and readers to explore modern day queer joy and queer struggles.
City-wide and national events
There are other Pride Month events taking place within the city and across the country.
This year, alongside Racing with Pride we will be hosting an event on Friday 14 June – which includes an informal meeting space for those that would like to come to the races, socialise and learn more about the sport.
You can also keep an eye out for local and national events being held to celebrate Pride Month, such as the York LGBT Forum and the LGBT Foundation online events.
- Friday 14 June
- York Racecourse
Friday 14 June marks the fourth anniversary of the “British EBF support Racing with Pride Fillies’ Handicap Stakes” the highlight of York Racecourse’s Pride Raceday.
The race day provides an opportunity for York Racecourse and sponsors the British EBF to celebrate and recognise Pride month, together with allies, horseracing LGBT+ network Racing with Pride will enjoy an afternoon of racing and networking with racegoers from other LBGT+ communities in the area.
The British EBF supporting Racing with Pride Fillies Stakes will give participants in the event the chance of an unprecedented racecourse experience, with the possibility of trips to the start, judging the best turned out horse in the race and presenting the trophy to the winning connections.
York Racecourse and Racing with Pride welcome new and seasoned racegoers from LGBT+ communities in the City of York to join them and perhaps sample the fun of a day at the races for the first time. There is a welcoming meeting space located in the Edwardian Weighing Room for the day.
- For those interested in attending and for more information, please email amy.swales@yorkracecourse.co.uk
- Saturday 1 June and Saturday 22 June 2024, 11am to 12.30pm
- Meet outside Bennett's Cafe & Bistro, 30-32 High Petergate, York YO1 7EH
- More dates available
- Ticket prices: £5 to £10
Join us on an insightful walking tour of the city, highlighting untold histories and diverse narratives. Walking through the beautiful medieval centre, you will go beyond the conventional stories of York, hearing about the impact of women, people of colour, and LGBTQIA+ individuals from York's past. This tour invites attendees to see beneath the surface and uncover the lesser known narratives of York, while giving a general overview of the city and its history.
Resources and related links
There are a number of useful internally and externally produced resources related to the LGBT+ community hosted on the University’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion web pages:
- Guidance on how to support our trans and non-binary community
- Our commitment to supporting our trans and non-binary community
- Trans awareness staff training sessions
- Guide for HR staff, managers and staff supporting students who are transitioning
- LGBT Foundation - A guide to being a trans ally
- Guidance for LGBT+ staff and students travelling outside the UK
- Trans staff and students in higher education: improving experiences (internal use only)
See also:
- Spreadsheet of free LGBT films to watch online
- Download the Galop Trans Resilience in Isolation PowerPoint
Glossary of EDI terminology
We believe that in order to understand who we are as a University community and to gain a better insight into the diverse identities of our staff and students, it is important for us to be aware of the equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) terminology that is associated with individuals and groups.
With that in mind, we have compiled a glossary of EDI terms, intended as a starting point for people to further their knowledge and understanding of this area.
Networks and support
The University is committed to working closely with and supporting our LGBT+ staff and student communities throughout the year on a number of initiatives, you can find out more about our staff and student network below:
Staff networks
Student networks
- LGBTQ Student Network Facebook page
- LGBTQ Social webpage
Watch again
We have a number of recordings from previous LGBT+ History Month and other related awareness events, that are available for you to watch again via the University's Equality Office and York Ideas YouTube channels:
- Gentleman Jack: The life and legacy of Anne Lister
- Intersectionality: action from knowledge
- Why what happens off-screen matters
- Escaping persecution - LGBT+ stories of asylum, past and present
- The Log Books: We are family - stories of LGBTQ+ people feeling at home (2022)
- The Log Books: stories from our LGBTQ+ history (2021)