Why Do We Celebrate Pride Month? A Social Psychology Podcast Episode.

To kick off Pride Season 2025 on The Psychology World Podcast, I wanted to look at why we celebrate Pride Month. Since thankfully in June a lot of cities, communities and companies come together to celebrate Pride Month. They put up flags and companies change their logos to represent all the different genders, sexualities and the diversity of the human experience. Also, the LGBT+ community and their allies come together to party, celebrate and have a good time. Yet some people might argue that this is all pointless because they might believe that the LGBT+ community has equal rights, they don’t need a month to celebrate it and it doesn’t need to be shoved down their throats. However, the reality is that there are still a lot of rights, even within liberal countries that LGBT+ individuals do not have access to and the discrimination, hate crimes and intolerance that LGBT+ people face every day still exist. Therefore, in this social psychology podcast episode, you’ll learn why do we celebrate Pride Month, why Pride Month isn’t about pointless parties and why Pride Month is about protesting for equal rights. If you enjoy learning about LGBT+ psychology, the psychology of discrimination and social activism then this will be a perfect episode for you.

Today’s psychology podcast episode has been sponsored by Social Psychology: A Guide To Social and Cultural Psychology. Available from all major eBook retailers and you can order the paperback and hardback copies from Amazon, your local bookstore and local library, if you request it. Also available as an AI-narrated audiobook from selected audiobook platforms and library systems. For example, Kobo, Spotify, Barnes and Noble, Google Play, Overdrive, Baker and Taylor and Bibliotheca.

Why Do We Celebrate Pride Month?

Thankfully, there are a lot of countries in the world where LGBT+ people have equal legal rights so they are protected by law against discrimination and hate crimes. As well as there are some wonderful countries that allow LGBT+ couples to get married, have children and adopt children just like their heterosexual peers. Yet just because we have these legal rights, it doesn’t mean that the homophobia, transphobia and biphobia has disappeared. This is even more important when we think about the anti-LGBT+ laws that are being filed and are passing in legislatures around the world. In particular, Hungary and the United States.

Even within the United Kingdom where it seems on the surface to be a perfectly safe country to be LGBT+, the reality is very different. And this is before I think about my own child abuse and the intense homophobia that I experienced and made me in fear for my life every day of my adolescence. Since a report by Galop found that 64% of LGBT+ people experience anti-LGBT+ violence and abuse. As well as 90% of the respondents to the survey said that they were negatively impacted by anti-LGBT+ abuse.

Personally, I completely understand this because whenever I experience anti-LGBT+ abuse, it makes me feel like rubbish, like I’m less than human and it only negatively impacts my mental health. It can increase my anxiety and depressive symptoms because there are times when I’m unsure of whether I am safe or if I’ll be abused or hated on if I even look or act slightly gay. If the United Kingdom really was a safe country for LGBT+ people then this would not happen.

The findings of this report are even worse when we look at the finding that 45% of respondents said that they required emotional support. There will be those in society that argue this just shows the LGBT+ community are a bunch of snowflakes but they are not. This finding just goes to show that the discrimination, the homophobia and the hate that we experience just because of who we are causes us significant levels of distress and mental health difficulties that we require support.

And as I always say, regardless of who you are, it shows more bravery and courage than you will ever know to admit that you need professional support and you seek it out.

Speaking of professional support, a report from Stonewall found that 13% of LGBT+ people experience healthcare inequalities because of their sexual orientation. In my own research on transgender mental health, this is a common theme I see in the narratives of my own participants. And Stonewall also found that 70% of transgender participants worry about healthcare discrimination when accessing general health services.

This is wrong on so many levels. It is disgusting and outrageous that there is a minority of healthcare professionals that discriminate against people based on their sexual orientation. This shouldn’t happen and it just goes to show that even in countries with equal rights for LGBT+ people, there is still a long way to go until we reach true equality.

In addition, this is a mental health crisis that is only getting worse because a report from the charity Just Like Us found that 68% of LGBT+ young people said that their mental health has decreased since the COVID-19 pandemic compared to only half of non-LGBT+ people. This again shows how the mental health of LGBT+ youth needs to be protected and focused on because unless governments and mental health services address the underlying reasons for these mental health disparities things will only continue to get worse for the community.

Moreover, this lack of true equal rights doesn’t just extend to general society and our healthcare settings, it applies to our schools as well. Since in our schools 42% of LGBT+ students have been bullied and you might argue that bullying is just a part of the school experience and LGBT+ students are different so of course they are going to be bullied. This is flat out wrong because no one should ever be bullied because of who they are, who they love and especially because the number of LGBT+ students bullied compared to non-LGBT+ 

students is doubled.

This is discrimination, not because bullying is part of the school experience. Which it never should be in the first place.

Another facet of this argument about the importance of Pride Month is because this is not just a problem for the United Kingdom. Other liberal countries like Australia, France and Germany all have similar figures. As well as there are other liberal countries that are trying to become less liberal, like the United States with their en-mass anti-trans and anti-LGBT+ laws that are sweeping the Federal and State Governments. As well as Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” Bill is the most famous example.

Unfortunately, this is just history repeating itself because the UK used to have the disgusting Section 28 under Thatcher’s government. Section 28 made it illegal just like the “Don’t Say Gay” Bill by greatly restricting the ability for schools to teach students about gender issues and sexual orientation. What we know in the United Kingdom is that Section 28 caused a lot of harm to the LGBT+ community and it still impacts innocent lives today because a lot of LGBT+ people still have the unfortunate and heartbreaking core belief that they are not good enough and they are worthless.

This is why these laws, like Section 28, are wrong and they do not do what they are designed to do. These laws never should have existed in the first place. The conservatives that suggest these laws argue that anti-LGBT+ laws protect children and protect society. Yet they do not because they harm children, the LGBT+ community and society as a whole. These laws are designed to induce shame and have an immensely negative impact on people’s mental health

and quality of life.

How does this protect anyone?

Ultimately, whether you want to admit it or not, being LGBT+ in this modern world is not easy and unfortunately, an everyday part of the life of an LGBT+ person is being constantly vigilant in this inhospitable world because of our expectations to be discriminated against and have to deal with the negative consequences. For example, heterosexual couples don’t have to think about whether it is safe to simply hold your partner’s hand in public and heterosexual couples don’t have to think about whether holding hands will get them abused, get them hated on or get them beaten up. LGBT+ couples have to think about this constantly.

The Importance of Pride Events Because of Chosen Family

It doesn’t matter if you live in a liberal country or not, there are always stories of innocent and amazing LGBT+ people being disowned by their loved ones and being thrown out of their homes. This happens even in the United Kingdom and this was one of my biggest fears growing up and it really impacted by mental health negatively.

As a result, Pride Events allow LGBT+ people who have been rejected by their families to find their tribe or chosen family. This might sound really easy but it is not and it can even be a challenge for LGBT+ people to allow ourselves to be loved by a family of choice because sadly they might not believe that they are worthy of receiving love.

Thankfully, it is possible to learn to love ourselves even if it is an on-going process.

Personally, I never ever believed that I was likeable or even lovable because of the intensely homophobic abuse and messages that I had internalised over the years. My entire life I had been taught and told that I was wrong, I was disgusting and I was an abomination for being gay so I never learnt that I was lovable. Honestly, it took me getting raped and having to heal and recover from sexual violence to understand that I’m loveable and I’m amazing.

How sad is that? It took me getting raped to undo all the intensely homophobic messages that I had been taught my entire life.

Pride Events Remind Us To Love Ourselves

Another reason why Pride Events are important is because they are a protest and a reminder that being LGBT+ means we are entitled to love ourselves, just like everyone else. A lot of therapists who work with LGBT+ clients have to teach their clients how to love themselves because they are constantly experiencing negative self-talk and thoughts saying that they aren’t good enough, no one cares about them and that they will never find anyone who loves them.

This is why it’s important in therapy to encourage LGBT+ clients to argue against their bully because no one, regardless of their sexual orientation, is worthless, unlovable and they are just as good as anyone else.

In addition, loving yourself gives you another valuable opportunity. It is the opportunity to rest, soothe and just slow down. Instead of constantly scanning your environment for threats, dangers and any signs that you’re about to be hated on and abused. You can simply slow down with a nice cup of tea, coffee and a good biscuit and just relax and self-soothe for a while. It’s why I love reading and writing with a massive mug of coffee with honey next to me.

I get to enjoy myself for a moment and just know that I am safe, loved and I am worthy of everything before I venture back out into the world where there are dangers and threats.

Personally, whilst it took me getting raped to really understand how much love I deserve and how much of a brilliant person I am. I remember the decades of hating myself, wanting to punish and self-harm because the homophobia made me believe that I was fundamentally wrong. I never should have gone through that. This is why I practise self-care and I make sure I enjoy the simple pleasures and I focus on myself. Making sure that I am okay, I am loved and I am happy.

I deserve it and so do you.

Finally, for this section, it’s important to remember that LGBT+ people are not burdens to good friends and it is so important to have good, high-quality connections with our chosen family and tribe. Our LGBT+ community is critical to our mental health and wellbeing.

The Importance of Pride Events Because of Global Discrimination

Heterosexual people can go anywhere in the world and they don’t have to worry about being arrested, beaten, whipped or abused. LGBT+ people have to constantly worry and plan where they go based on level of risk.

At the moment according to the Human Dignity Trust, there are 71 countries that have criminalised same-sex relationships and 11 of these countries punish homosexuality by death. This is even worse when we consider that 25% of the world’s population thinks that homosexuality should be a crime. Therefore, heterosexual couples can go to sunny beaches and destinations and enjoy everything that culture has to offer without thinking about the deadly dangers that that country poses to LGBT+ people.

Personally, I would flat out love to go to countries, like China, Egypt and countries in the Middle East. These countries have such rich cultures and fascinating histories that I would love to learn more about. Yet at the moment, if I go to these countries then there is a massive risk that I would be arrested, beaten, whipped or killed. I don’t want to go to prison just because of who I love.

Straight people never have to worry about this so that’s why Pride events are needed, so we can protest this awful, discriminatory treatment.

Social Psychology Conclusion

This is why Pride Month is so important and it is still needed after all these years. Pride events might look like parties but they aren’t. In fact, Pride events are a protest, an act of defiance because it shows the world that LGBT+ people are alive, visible and they should be fully accepted in society without fear of being discriminated against in the workplace, schools, shops, healthcare and universities and so many other places.

And these days Pride events are needed more than ever as there are those in power and governments and wider society that seek to erase us from everyday life.

But we will always be around. LGBT+ people have been here since ancient times and we always will be here. You can never erase us and that is why Pride Month should be celebrated.

I really hope you enjoyed today’s social psychology podcast episode.

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Social Psychology References and Further Reading

Egbert, R., & DePalo, G. M. (2020). Finding safety, building community, and providing hope: The creation of pride healing center. In Violence Against LGBTQ+ Persons: Research, Practice, and Advocacy (pp. 241-264). Cham: Springer International Publishing.

Haslem, H. (2024). Promoting Health Equity: Addressing Substance Use and Mental Health Challenges in LGBTQIA+ Communities This Pride Month. Health.

https://justlikeus.org/

https://www.galop.org.uk/resource/hate-crime-report-2021

https://www.humandignitytrust.org/

https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/talking-sex-and-relationships/202206/why-do-

we-celebrate-pride-month

https://www.stonewall.org.uk/cy/node/24594

Mbele, Z. (2022). Pride Month and Mental Health. Mental Health Matters, 9(3), 1-3.

McCarthy, D. (2020). Why there is still a need for Pride celebrations in Ireland?. Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, 20(4), 11-14.

Tinlin-Dixon, R., Bechlem, B., Stevenson-Young, L., Hunter, R., & Falcon-Legaz, P. (2025). Community, belonging and acceptance; is this the antidote to shame and societal discrimination? An exploration of LGBTQ+ individuals’ attendance at pride and their mental health. Psychology & Sexuality, 16(1), 206-219.

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