Oasis had an absolutely amazing time at Margate Pride this Saturday. Our residents, volunteers and members of staff had a blast walking in the parade, holding our banner high, dancing and spreading our message that love shouldn’t hurt. The carnival atmosphere was infectious.
We are so proud to have been part of the party, but we are also proud to be part of the protest. It is essential that we remember that Pride was a riot and is still a protest. By showing up, being visible and taking up space we celebrate the hard-won rights and demand more change.
LGBT rights are under fire all over the world. From the horrific laws in Brunei, to the increase in homophobic hate crime and struggle to have an LGBT presence in sex & relationship education here in the UK, it feels like we are becoming more divided not less.
Our vision as a charity, the thing we are working towards, is to end violence and abuse. We can’t do this in a world that is divided by hate and mistrust. Domestic abuse is fuelled and furthered by inequality. All perpetrators of abuse use privilege as a tactic – gender privilege, able-bodied privilege, immigration status privilege, employment privilege and tactics-based on sexual orientation or gender history. They use it to instil rules, isolate you, shame you, control and trap you. It is important to remember that these tools are only available and effective because they occur in a broader context of inequality, where LGBT people may be marginalised or discriminated against because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Together we hope that we can change society – to promote love and acceptance and eradicate violence and abuse in all it’s forms. We are looking forward to participating in the inaugural Dover Pride on the 31st August.
Oasis services are available to anyone who has experienced abuse, regardless of gender, in any type of relationship - with an intimate partner, a friend or family member.