An Introduction to Pride Month

‘To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.’

– Oscar Wilde, author, poet, and playwright 

It’s that time of year once again, Pride month! A mixture of rainbows, flags, queer joy, the history of rights won and fights for those still needed, parades, protests, and drama!

There’ll be rainbows galore and even more merch than last year, it’s Queer Christmas… If you disregard Eurovision and Halloween, of course.

What if Pride Month’s not so great for you?

But what if you’re not able to celebrate? Perhaps you see the commercialisation of Pride Month and think ‘ugggh, not again’. Or maybe you’re just going through a hard time right now and aren’t in the mood to celebrate. We get it. It can be tough if everyone seems to be celebrating and you’re just not feeling it or able too. 

This year, we thought we’d do a series of blog posts focusing on a different way to engage with Pride, a celebration of you and finding a way to take pride in who you are.

We will be highlighting positive things that you can do during Pride Month to help you feel good about yourself and celebrate as well as supporting the wider queer community at the same time, so be sure to watch this space!

In the meantime, here are some nice activities to get you in the mood for a month of self-celebration.

Get outside this Pride Month!

Firstly, take some time to enjoy being outside in nature. Going for a short walk can do wonders to shake off the brain fog and helps get the blood pumping around your body, giving your physical resilience a boost. If that’s not for you today, spending some time relaxing in the garden or in a nearby park or green space works just as well. 

Mindful colouring

An activity that can be really relaxing that I personally find therapeutic is mindful colouring. This activity aims to give you something fun and relaxing to focus on and has the added bonus of giving you some decoration once you’re done! You can find adult colouring books in places like bookstores, arts and crafts stores and online. We also have some designs from amazing artists ready to print in the resources section of our website. Alternatively, you could draw a scribble design to colour instead. 

The easiest tip for Pride Month

Finally, give yourself some time to breathe and really acknowledge the sensation of the air filling your lungs. Recognise and celebrate that despite the hardships, you’re still here, you’re still fighting and regardless of anything else, that in itself is a huge victory. And even in the darker times, you are amazing, you matter, and you are not alone!

Keep an eye on our blog, and our Instagram over the rest of this month for some thoughts & insights from Ciara & Raven!

If you want to help support HATW

Please consider picking up some merch with a message! It’s how we fund our work, and spread our message. Plus, we’ve poured plenty of love into making the best quality items out there.