Pride Month 2023

The Staff Equality Network would like to invite colleagues to join us in celebrating our LGBTQ+ community this Pride Month

What is Pride Month?

Pride Month takes place in June each year. Pride is a celebration of people coming together in love and friendship, to show how far LGBTQ+ rights have come, and how in some places there's still work to be done. Pride month is about acceptance, equality, celebrating the work of LGBTQ+ people, education in LGBTQ+ history and raising awareness of issues affecting the LGBTQ+ community. It also calls for people to remember how damaging homophobia was and still can be.

Why are we celebrating Pride Month

The aim of marking the month is two-fold:

1. To reinforce the message to employees that HBC is a welcoming and safe place for LGBTQ+ people to work
2. That HBC is a community leader in respecting and promoting the rights of LGBTQ+ people living in the town and elsewhere

What's on?

The Staff Equality Network are organising a programme of activities throughout June that staff can get involved with, including:

The Pride flag will be flying over the Civic Centre for the whole of Pride month – the first time this has happened

Staff and visitors to the CIL in Burbank Street will have a treat in store during Pride month as the café will be hosting a Pride-themed display including artworks made by the service users. There will also be rainbow cupcakes on sale

Workforce Development have made more EDI (equality, diversity and inclusion) courses available. Sessions take place at Orange Box training and will take place on the 20th June, 27th September, 1st December 2023 and 7th March 2024. All sessions run from 9.30am-12.30pm. The session gives an introduction to EDI, including about the LGBTQ+ community. Book a place via your departmental training representative in the usual way following approval from your manager:

• Resources and Development and Legal Department corporatetraining@hartlepool.gov.uk
• Neighbourhoods and Regulatory Services RNTraining@hartlepool.gov.uk
• Children's and Joint Commissioning Services, Adult and Community Based Services casworkforcedevelopment@hartlepool.gov.uk

The Staff Equality Network are hosting a Lunch and Learn session on Tuesday 27^th June from 12.30-1.30 on MS Teams. Guest speakers from local support group Hart Gables will host a lunch time talk. Whether you're a member of the LGBTQ+ community, an ally, or just curious, this event is for you. So grab your lunch and join us for an informative and inspiring session! To give us an idea of numbers please book a place on this link https://lunch-and-learn-pride-month.eventbrite.co.uk

We will also be sharing details of how to report any incidents of LGBTQ+ hate that you may have experienced or witnessed and how to find support. Check out our LGBTQ+ Hate FAQs on this page for more info.

Get involved

If you are interested in equality, diversity and inclusion and want to help make a difference why not join the Staff Equality Network? For more information email yoursay@hartlepool.gov.uk.

Pride events across the region

Pride Month is often celebrated with colourful parades and there are a number of these taking place in the local area. While Pride Month is usually celebrated in June due to its origin in the New York Stonewall riots which took place in June, in the UK Pride events take place throughout the year.

Local Pride events include:

• Durham Pride - 28^th May
• York Pride – 3^rd June
• Sunderland Pride - 8^th July
• Northern Pride (Newcastle) – 22^nd to 23^rd July
• Cumbria Pride (Carlisle) – 23^rd September
• Scarborough Pride – 30^th September