I’m proud to represent the diverse, unique and inclusive community of Leigh and Atherton, where 2.8% of people aged 16 and over identify as LGBT+. We are a community that embraces individuality and stands against all forms of hatred and discrimination.
The first UK Pride march took place in London in 1972. What began as a courageous act of visibility has grown into a vibrant, unstoppable movement – reaching every corner of the country, including right here in Leigh.
As the Wigan Council cabinet member who oversaw the borough’s first ever Pride celebration, Wigan Pride, I saw the powerful impact these events can have in challenging prejudice and uniting communities.
Building on that momentum, I helped bring that same spirit to Leigh in 2021, alongside a remarkable team – local activists Jess Eastoe, Elizabeth Costello, and Farai and Tabeth Nhakiniso.
Together, we launched the first Pride in Leigh at Leigh Spinners Mill, drawing in local artists, businesses and over 300 people. Since then, it has grown in strength and laid the foundation for what’s become an inspiring annual tradition.
Culture and creativity have shaped my politics -especially growing up at a time when cultural regeneration and resistance were intertwined.
Without giving away my age, I was one of those young people drawn to Manchester city centre in the early 1990s, right at the start of its cultural explosion. Artists and musicians, tired of Thatcher’s decimation of industry and community, sparked Manchester’s reinvention.
One of the most powerful parts of that was the gay scene. After the trauma of the AIDS epidemic and the impact of Section 28, the community had been driven underground by law and stigma. But underground didn’t mean invisible.
My first club was the No.1 Club in Manchester, ironically housed beneath the old Bootle Street police station. Inside that basement, it didn’t matter who you were. That spirit flowed into places like The Hacienda, and eventually into the creation of Canal Street.
Those nights were fun, but also one of the many reasons I became political. I’ve seen what happens when culture, creativity, and courage come together. Whether that’s as part of the Labour Party or as an activist, it’s about being a voice for fairness, justice, and change.
In 2024, we’re still seeing hate crime rise at an alarming rate in the UK – from 4,000 recorded incidents in 2011 to over 22,000 this year. Too many LGBT+ people still feel unsafe online, in public, and in their own communities.
Globally, in 66 countries, LGBT+ people still face legal persecution just for being who they are. We can’t be complacent.
While it’s important to celebrate how far we’ve come, we must also reflect on what more needs to be done.
I’m pleased this Government is committed to equalising sentencing for hate crimes, so that offences motivated by hatred towards LGBT+ or disabled people are treated the same as those motivated by race or religion. That’s progress, but the work doesn’t stop there.
Equality runs through the heart of everything the Labour Party stands for. But we can, and must, always do more. So this month, let’s celebrate how far we’ve come and stand together against hate, and remember the simple truth that love conquers all.
Happy Pride Month!
Note: This article was originally published on the Wigan Today website, on Wednesday 25 June, 2025.