Why it’s good to be Proud

June 2025 is Pride Month– an inclusive celebration to honour our LGBTQ+ community here in the UK. What’s not to like?

So I was surprised when, the other day, I was asked why I was writing a short piece on Pride, and what’s it got to do with gender equality. My answer was simple: being ‘for’ something isn’t an exclusive arrangement: I believe that building a community in which we are each free to be the best versions of ourselves is something that benefits everyone.

But it’s more than a believe. A study issued by Kings College, London last month confirmed that gender equality benefits us all.

The study analysed data on gender equality collected across all 372 local authorities in the UK and focusing on six core criteria, being paid work, unpaid work, money, power/participation, education and health.The results showed a compelling link between the areas with best gender equality, and the areas with strongest economic growth.

The top ten authorities with closest alignment on gender equality were grouped around London and the North West, although for very different reasons. In London, the outcomes were higher than average for men and women across all core criteria whereas in the North West, men and women fared equally poorly compared to the national average.

The local authorities scoring worst for gender equality were spread across all four nations of the UK, where the outcomes for both men and women fell well below the national average and economic growth was lowest, often following the decline of traditional industries.

I’d hazard a guess that if the same study were extended to look at our LGBTQ+ community, it would show the same results: creating a society where one person can thrive creates a society where everyone can thrive. So to the person who asked me “why Pride”, that’s why I’m proud to support Pride.