A guest blog from Adam Crampsie, Chief Executive at Everyturn.
Pride Month always brings mixed feelings for me.
I feel hopeful because I see how far we’ve come. I feel proud because I know how hard our community has fought. But if I’m honest, I also feel tired. I’m tired because we are still having to fight, still having to explain, still having to justify who we are and why our rights matter.
Pride began as a protest, and it still needs to be. Despite all the progress, being LGBTQ+ still means carrying a weight that others don’t always see. And right now, that weight feels heavier.
As a gay man who grew up under Section 28, I know what that feels like. I also see the freedom that comes when you finally let go of shame and start living with pride. But I wish more young people didn’t have to carry that burden in the first place.
And right now, it’s getting harder. Trans people are being vilified. Hard-won rights are being chipped away. And the tone of public debate is colder and more hostile than in years. This isn’t just culture war nonsense – it’s real life. And it’s having a very real impact on people’s mental health.
At Everyturn, we see that impact every day. LGBTQ+ people are more than twice as likely to experience a mental health problem – more than half report living with depression. One in eight young LGBTQ+ people has attempted to take their own life. These are not just numbers. They reflect deep and ongoing harm. From rejection. From discrimination. From fear of simply existing in the wrong place at the wrong time.
But we also see something else. We see healing and connection. We see people begin to recover, not because they changed, but because someone finally made space for them to be exactly who they are. That is what inclusive mental health care looks like. That is what everyone deserves.
I am proud to lead a charity where LGBTQ+ people are included and embraced. I am proud of our teams, who meet people with compassion, humanity, and respect, whoever they are and wherever they come from. And I am proud of every LGBTQ+ person who is still here, still hopeful, still showing up even when it’s hard.
We still have a long way to go. But we’ll keep going. Together. With love, with truth, and with our heads held high.