Pride and prejudice

Following on from last week's diversity report, this weekend, 28 June, the annual Pride parade will wind its way through the streets of London.

Six years ago, there was no legal presence at the event.

But in 2009, by pulling together members of the then Young Solicitors Group (and a number of friends who not only felt sufficiently confident to wear a Law Society-branded lime green T-shirt but also to be associated with a group of lawyers) that changed.

The first outing (no pun intended) was an opportunity to represent LGBT lawyers and legal professionals in front of tens of thousands of visitors, spectators and participants - many of whom travel from across the globe each year - and for the Law Society to speak directly to what was still a client base misunderstood by some legal services providers.

To our surprise, as anyone who was there in 2009 will remember, we were greeted with cheers, not boos, as we passed along Oxford Street and down towards Trafalgar Square.
Any opportunity to be cheered as a lawyer is something we should surely be celebrating.

The Junior Lawyers Division will be marching once again, but the legal presence
is much greater than the original 40 or so five years ago as the event continues to grow.

Joining this celebration of equal rights now enjoyed in this country (and some of the cheers) will be members of the Bar Council, the Law Society and CILEx. Sadly, the Judiciary declined the invitation to join the contingent.

You could think that events such as Pride are no longer relevant. With the passing of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act last year and positive representations across the media,
gay men and women have never had such an 'easy life'.

Sadly, there is still work to be done, at home and abroad, in the office and in public life. Anti-homosexual legislation is being passed in the Middle East and in parts of Africa. In Russia, as highlighted during the controversial Winter Olympics, gay men are being targeted, ostracised by society, beaten and worse.

Bisexuality remains misunderstood in the UK, associated with being greedy, fickle and promiscuous. Without professional role models or any real media profile, this is unlikely to change.

And despite some trans solicitors and barristers working in law today, many people who feel trapped in the wrong body don't feel able to live their lives as they want to at work, even though legal protections are in place.

Whether you identify as LGBT, want to support your colleagues or the community, or simply want to celebrate our 'freedom to challenge and defend equality', all will be welcome on the day. For further information email: legalpride@lawsociety.org.uk or visit www.lawsociety.org.uk/legalpride.

In other news, it was good to meet some readers at our award-wining conference, SJ Live, last week. I hope you enjoyed the event.

Kevin Poulter is SJ's editor at large 

Follow Kevin’s tweets at @SJ_Weekly #SJPOULTER and read his blog online every Friday