I don’t believe this book will ever find a place on my bookshelf. It has already been passed to family who have plans to pass it to friends and with hope, this book’s message will spread. Have Pride is a whistle stop tour through the highs and lows of LGBTQ+ history.
Thankfully, today many LGBTQ+ young people are born into the UK with the rights and protection their cisgender, straight peers share. Many of us live in communities where we are loved and respected no matter our identity and so I think some of us forget how long our battle for LGBTQ+ rights has been, how recently the laws have changed and how we still have a way to go to help our community both in and out of the UK.
Have Pride gives an honest, chronological account of how life has changed for LGBTQ+ people and sheds light on the people that brought about this change. The heartfelt stories of LGBTQ+ revolutionaries are better understood as you realise what a revolutionary act it was to live openly as an LGBTQ+ person.
In this book there is no hiding from the dark chapters of history and the persecution people faced for being true to who they were. But like Fred Rogers’ mother suggested, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people helping”, Have Pride highlights the LGBTQ+ heroes who ‘helped’ others, pushed for change and inspire pride in ourselves and our history.
As pioneering Scottish teaching staff begin to create an LGBTQ+ inclusive curriculum, Have Pride is a gift that can support the whole school community in understanding how life for LGBTQ+ people has changed over the centuries. The book’s clear layout will support staff in adapting the information for use in inclusive lessons whether that sharing an icon’s history or creating a quiz of the biggest turning points.
For those who know little about LGBTQ+ history this is the perfect stepping stone. Have Pride identifies the movements, people and laws which impacted the community both positively and negatively. Along this journey, notable people are mentioned, encouraging you to research their lives and work. And if at any point you may question ‘why have pride?’, every chapter ends with a member of the LGBTQ+ community explaining exactly why they have pride.
This book is a must read for anyone who questions why we Have Pride.