We’re a couple of days into the international month of rainbows – a celebration of the fight for authenticity. The LGBTQ+ community around the world rallies round in support of each other every June. Inspired by the Stonewall riots in 1968, we raise our voices – not just for ourselves, but for those in need of aid, and those for whom speaking up isn’t safe.

Its difficult to focus on the happy celebration side of Pride when the context in which I live feels so hostile. Every day in my media feeds, I see the rights and existence of LGBTQ+ people being used as a focus of political discourse across the spectrum. It is exhausting. The worst about this is that generally we just want to get on with life openly and authentically without having to fight for the privilege.

On a personal level, Pride has been an excuse to put out some flags on the balcony of our flat. Its been an reminder to wear my rainbow lanyard and check the pins on it. I would have said it was an excuse to change my ribbon header graphic in my Office software but that’s already a year-round feature anyway. The reason for that is that being visible, especially now, is important. Representation saves people.

People talk to me. They feel safe to open up about issues. They can spend a moment to just be themselves. There are people who have stopped to talk but not disclosed anything – and I will likely never know that they found safety and acceptance or whatever else they needed in that moment. That moment sustains each of them. I guarantee that example will be chiming with the LGBTQ+ people in your lives, whether you know them as such or not.