Relaunched Isle of Pride group to be LGBTQ+ community 'voice'
Homosexual acts were decriminalised on the island in 1992, 25 years after England and Wales and 12 years after Scotland.In June 2022, pardons were given to men with historical criminal convictions on the island after an "unqualified apology" was issued by the then chief minister Howard Quayle the previous year.Established with the aim of holding a Pride event on the island, more than 8,500 people attended the inaugural parade and festival in 2021.But in September 2022 the directors confirmed they had "unanimously resolved to wind up Isle of Pride, after considering that the time is right for new ideas to be explored and steered" by the LGBTQ+ community.
In a statement, the new team confirmed a refreshed board had been appointed in September 2024, with the new board taking some time to "reaffirm our goals" and work "to get the charity to the place it is now".The group said given the "context of the current political climate around the world" it was "vital that people of marginalised communities have a voice and representation".It was important for the LGBTQ+ community to "stand together, along with our allies, to protect the rights so hard fought for", it added.The new board is set to work in association with a Pride on the Quay event set to take place on 30 August on North Quay in Douglas, with details of a 2026 Pride event expected to be released at a later date.A scheme to deliver education and training initiatives, as well as a safe spaces project, called Chree - which is Manx Gaelic for heart - are also being progressed.A spokesman said it was hoped the programme would bring "more awareness and inclusion for our community and will bring us closer to creating an island society in which no LGBTQ+ person feels alone".Mr Cherry said "no one should be treated differently for who they are, everyone should be able to love who they love".The reboot of the organisation was about "representation" and "telling people there is support and the return of events that celebrate the community", he added.
Read more stories from the Isle of Man on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer and follow BBC Isle of Man on Facebook and X.
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