Pride Month 2025 Watch Strap

Bought the new 2025 #pridemonth2025 watch band from Apple. A brilliant design that showcases the individuality of everyone in the #lgbtq community.

What I really like about the strap, is that each strap is assembled by hand from individual strips of vibrant colour, thus making each strap unique as none of the bands, have the strips of colour in exactly the same place. 

It is brilliant to see Apple support Pride Month by creating a new Apple Watch strap each year, along with iPhone and iPad wallpapers, when more and more companies are stopping their support of Pride Month & the LGBTQ community thanks to Donal Trump dismantling Diversity Equity and Inclusion policies. 

Keep up the good work Apple, and keep supporting the LGBT Community, it's appreciated!

 

I'm a Gay Asthmatic

As regular readers of this blog will know, I am a gay male who is an out & proud member of the LGBTQ+ community. What you will likely not know is that I am an asthmatic. I am writing this blog entry, to highlight something that really annoys me as an asthmatic - NHS prescription charges.

In England where I live, anyone who is over the age of 18, has to pay for their prescriptions, unless they are exempt, for example they are claiming benefits, they are over 65, they are on job seekers allowance etc. In England you pay for your prescriptions when you go an collect them from your nominated pharmacy. This costs £9.90 per medication and it can soon add up, especially if your an asthmatic who needs 2-3 inhalers per month, as this would end up costing you £200 plus a year. You can get an NHS pre-payment card for your prescriptions, but even though that will save you money, your still paying for your prescriptions

Whilst I don't have a problem paying for my prescriptions, I find it unfair that Asthmatics, who need inhalers to keep them healthy, have to pay for their prescriptions, yet people who have diabetes, get their prescriptions for diabetes medication that, like Asthmatics, they need to take every day completely free.  This I feel is very unfair for Asthmatics, as like diabetics we need to take inhales regularly to keep our lungs healthy, and where people have really bad Asthma, stay alive etc.

Asthmatics need to be given free prescriptions, for several reasons, including:

• Some can't afford the prescription charges
• Some  don't use their inhalers as prescribed to try and make them last longer
• It's unfair that people with other long term conditions get free prescriptions

 What do you think?

Chichester Pride

On the 24th May I went to my first pride event of the year, one I had not been to before,, Chichester Pride. This is a new pride event that has been going for the last four years, and I thought as it is more local to me than Reading or Pride in Surrey, it would be a good one to participate in.

It was really fantastic to be able to take part in the pride parade, as it marched through the city from Priory Park to Chichester College,  via North Street, The Market Cross and West Street, and brilliant to see members of the public show their support for the LGBTQ+ community while we were marching. Upon arrival at Chichester College, it was great to listen to speeches celebrating the community, in particular the trans community, which is under threat from the recent supreme court ruling.

Once the parade had finished it was time to enter the pride festival in the college grounds, and I have to say it was well worth the £12 admission fee. The entertainment was brilliant, including local drag queen acts, including Cherry Liquor, star of RuPaul's Drag Rae UK, Kitty Scott-Claus,  tribute acts including Lady Gaga & George Michael, plus local performers including Brighton Gay Men's Chorus.

I had such a good time, yesterday, that I am planning to go again in 2026. If you are a member of the LGBTQ+ community or an ally, I would recommend that  you go along to your local pride parade, and show the world that you are a part of the LGBTQ+ community, or if your are an ally, especially with the ruling from the supreme court affecting the trans community, show the world that you support the LGBTQ+ community. 

Pride Parades & Events

 

It was great to go to the Pride in Surrey parade and event yesterday in Guildford. Apart from the wet weather during the parade, it was a great march and event.

I think it would be really good if, where possible, more people that attended the pride event, took part in the pride parade. I respect that for some people this may be difficult, due to perhaps a disability or not being comfortable marching in a pride parade. I believe the pride parade is the most important part of the day and joining in a pride parade, in my opinion, shows:

• Lets people know we exist
• Strength in numbers
• How large the LGBTQ+ community is
• Lets the people watching the march, know that your a visible member of the LGBTQ+ community, or an Ally
• Shows people you are not scared of showing people your true colours

It was really great to march through Guildford high street yesterday, in the pouring rain to Stoke Park, just as it was great to march through Reading, and let those watching the parades that the  LGBTQ+ community is here, and not disappearing. It's fantastic that in the UK we can hold pride events, without fear of being persecuted etc.

What I also think would encourage people to take part in the pride parade is priority entry to the pride event, after the march. This happened at Pride in Surrey, and I wish this happened at Reading Pride. 

For me, like a lot of people

• Pride is a protest, and always has been
  
• Showing the world that we exist, and are not prepared to hide in the closet
  
• We want the same rights as ordinary heterosexual people
• We want to be treated like normal human beings
• Showing the world we stand together as a community to protect the whole community, including our trans siblings 

If you are not a member of the LGTBQ+ community that does not stop you from going to a pride event, go along and be an Ally (supporter) to the community