The Queer Student Awards is returning this year as the LGBTQ+ community celebrates the 50th anniversary of the first UK Pride event.
The awards, which are set to take place on June 26, are to recognise talented young LGBTQ+ people proudly leading in their lives and the communities around them.
Queer Student Awards
The first Queer Student Awards took place in 2021 and celebrated LGBTQ+ young people and students from across the UK. The prestigious award of ‘Queer Student of the Year’ went to Jack Stokes, who was celebrated nationally last summer for using his own experiences of LGBTQ+ harassment and bullying to build a safe and inclusive community at Dudley College of Technology, West Midlands.
Jack’s story illustrated the importance of safe spaces where young LGBTQ+ people can support each other, and was one of several told of inspirational youths working hard to raise awareness of the issues still faced by the LGBTQ+ community in the workplace, on campus and in schools and colleges across the U.K. half a century since the first Pride march in the UK.
UK Pride’s 50th Anniversary
The first UK Pride event took place 50-years-ago this year in London on July 1, 1972, chosen as the nearest Saturday to the anniversary of the Stonewall riots of 1969, and had approximately 2,000 participants.
The 1972 event was organised by the UK Gay Pride rally after the first marches for gay pride took place in November 1970 with 150 men walking through Highbury Fields in North London.
‘Despite progress that has been made towards achieving equality for the LGBTQ+ community over the last 50 years,’ said Steve Keith, Founder, Queer Student Awards, ‘it’s clear that many remain poorly educated with hate crimes alone during the last twelve months, particularly towards transgender folks, increasing. It’s no longer enough to just ‘slap a rainbow’ on a logo to show support for the many young LGBTQ+ people who feel vulnerable in the UK.
‘The Queer Student Awards provide a space for employers, schools, colleges and universities to demonstrate their commitment towards supporting and positively addressing adversities that LGBTQ+ youths experience every day – especially when it comes to navigating career options alongside concerns that their sexuality could act as a barrier to future success in the workplace.’