I support Pride Month because there's still a long way to go

I grew up in very traditional east end family. My Grandad was a long distance lorry driver, all my uncles were tradesmen and my mum was a carer. So coming out as gay was never going to be easy. I didn't have a great time at school as I wasn't like the other boys playing football or sports. I was always very artistic and spent a lot of my time in the art class on my own trying not to bring attention to myself.

When I left school and started college, I was able to be more of myself. However, I still didn't come out as gay as it was very different 20 years ago and it wasn't accepted as much as it is today. At college I met one of my very good friends and she was the first person I ever admitted to that I was gay. I was 16 at the time.  She supported me until I told my family at the age of 20.

Finding acceptance

Before telling them I was living two lives - one with friends going to gay bars and clubs and the other with my family. I was very lucky because my mother was much supportive and so was my Grandad. My uncles weren't as much and are still not.

My mum was my biggest supporter. She would come to bars, clubs and even London Pride and Gran Canaria Pride. She loved every moment of it.

It's taken a long time to accept who I am. I always believed I wouldn't get married and have children but now I'm in a happy relationship with my partner who has two amazing children who I adore.

There is still more work to do

Unfortunately, even though we have moved on so much over the last 20 years since I came out,  I still experience homophobic abuse. We still have a long way to go and a lot of educating to do.

We still need to be hearing the stories and be educated by the generation who started the fight so we can love who we want to love and be our authentic self. We are very lucky in the UK because it's more acceptable to be part of the LGBTQ+ community now. Sadly there are still some countries which don't accept being LGBTQ+. This is the biggest reason we need Pride month so we can support our LGBTQ+ extended family all over the world and make people aware that loving someone is not wrong, no matter if it's two men, two women or a man and women - love is love!