June 1st marks the beginning of Pride Month, and it feels more pertinent than ever to reflect on why we have time carved out to recognise, reflect and celebrate what Pride means. The first pride was a protest, we hear this a lot; looking back at the formative events that followed the riots at the Stonewall Inn, celebrating black trans activists like Marsha P. Johnson and Miss Major Griffin-Gracy. We can reflect on how our movement has grown to become more inclusive, with the need for the formation of the Lavender Menace when lesbian voices were excluded from political queer spaces, and how there is still the need to ensure black voices are heard in queer spaces. It was also only in 2015 that Ireland legalised same-sex marriage, with huge support mobilised by the student movement. As a movement that spans the globe, it’s a time to see how far we’ve come, and yet how far we still have to go.
In 2026 this couldn’t be more clear in the UK, than seeing how students have reacted to the chilling guidance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) that effectively empowers organisations and institutions to police people's gender, segregate trans people and force them out of essential gendered spaces and services. The guidance released by the EHRC has not yet come into effect, but has been emboldened by the rise in anti-trans rhetoric we’re seeing play out across the national media. We want our members to know that we are proud to be an SU that has, and will continue to fight for trans students rights - and that’s never felt more needed than now to make that crystal clear. Whilst we take time to prepare to fight against these awful changes, we won’t let it overshadow the opportunity to celebrate Pride and the progress the community has made.
Pride month is rooted in protest, but it’s important to remember that it is also a time for celebration. On Saturday the 13th we’ll be at Grange Road Pitch cheering on the ‘Ballers Against Bigots’, a grassroots football tournament created to reclaim space on the pitch and raise funds for organisations fighting for trans inclusion in sport. However you choose to do so, this is still a time to celebrate queer joy and queer success!
Happy Pride from Cambridge SU