Stonewall’s Lesson: Rights Are Never Safe Without Resistance | by Heather Paterson | Jun, 2026 | Medium Today marks the anniversary of the Stonewall uprising. For many people, Stonewall has become shorthand for the birth of the modern LGBTQIA+ rights movement. It is spoken about as the moment queer people finally fought back. As the spark. As the beginning. But that version of history is too neat. It risks flattening a much longer story of resistance, and it can give the fal

Conversion Practices: Closer to a Ban, Still Far From Protection | by Heather Paterson | Jun, 2026 | Medium Today the Government published its long-awaited Draft Conversion Practices Bill. For many people, that sentence alone is enough to stir up complicated feelings. Relief, because conversion practices are abusive, harmful and should never have remained legal for this long. Anger, because LGBTQIA+ people have been promised this protection again and again. Caution, because a

What Could a Burnham Government Mean for LGBTQIA+ Communities? | by Heather Paterson | Jun, 2026 | Medium With Andy Burnham now expected to become Prime Minister, LGBTQIA+ communities face an important question: what will this change of government actually mean for us? As a queer woman in my forties, I have lived through enough political change to know that governments matter. The laws they pass matter. The priorities they set matter. The people they appoint matter. For LGBTQ

A social media ban will not keep young people safe | by Heather Paterson | Jun, 2026 | Medium Today’s announcement of a social media ban for under 16s will be welcomed by some people as a bold step to protect children. I understand why. There is a lot about social media that is ugly, harmful and frightening. I am not someone who thinks the internet is all harmless fun or that concerns about online safety are somehow overblown. I am an active user of social media. I have seen

Issue 55 Forever with Pride 1st June 2026 Pride has always meant more to me than a date in the calendar. Of course, it is joy. It is music, banners, glitter, chosen family, protest signs, dancing, laughing and, for a moment, feeling like the world has made a little more room for us. But Pride is also memory. It is resistance. It is care. It is a reminder that LGBTQ+ communities have always had to build what we needed, often with very little, because nobody else was going to

May Leaders Blog: The UK can and must do better on LGBT+ rights Welcome to the latest in our monthly series of reflections from Consortium’s Senior Leadership Team. Each month, a different member of the team will share updates, insights and sector-wide reflections, helping to connect our strategy to the realities of our work and the experiences of our members. ILGA-Europe’s 2026 Rainbow Map has been released today, and it makes for deeply uncomfortable reading. The UK now sc

(2) Visible, well and stronger together: reflecting on Lesbian Visibility Week 2026 | LinkedIn Today is Lesbian Visibility Day, and the final day of Lesbian Visibility Week 2026. It feels like a good moment to stop and reflect on a week that has been joyful, powerful, emotional and much needed. This year’s theme is Health and Wellbeing, which feels especially important. Visibility matters, but it is not just about being seen. It is about being able to live well, love openly,

https://medium.com/@heatherpaterson/will-we-still-say-lgbt-in-50-years-29aa11f54476 I was having an interesting conversation with a colleague recently about the language we use in the LGBT+ sector. I have recently found myself wondering whether, at some point in the future, we might actually stop using the term LGBT+, or any of its variations like LGBTQ+ or LGBTQIA+. Let me explain. Over time the language we use to describe our communities has gradually expanded. In the 1970s

'Young people paying the price' for DEI cuts to Pride in UK Corporate brands in the UK are seemingly bowing to the Trump administration’s attacks on diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI), leaving Pride organisations struggling to survive. Earlier this week, National Student Pride – the UK’s largest LGBTQ+ student event – announced its 2026 festival will be its last in its current form , due to the number of corporations which are slashing their DEI budgets. This year’s Na

National Student Pride 2026 will be the last – due to DEI cuts LGBTQ+ student event National Student Pride has announced this weekend’s festival will be its final under its current form, due to corporates slashing their diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) budgets. Founded in 2005, National Student Pride is the UK’s largest LGBTQ+ student event and during those two decades has welcomed thousands of students to its events, which were created to give LGBTQ+ students visibi

Protect inclusive spaces from gender-critical legal battles, Starmer told after Hampstead ladies pond row | The Independent Exclusive: Keir Starmer and Bridget Phillipson have been urged by more than 140 feminist and LGBT+ organisations to protect trans-inclusive spaces Sir Keir Starmer has been urged to protect inclusive spaces from gender-critical lawfare after a campaign group attempted to bring legal action to exclude trans women from Kenwood Ladies’ Pond in Hampstead H

February Leaders Blog: Reflections on Our Strategy and the Road Ahead in 2026 Welcome to the first in our new monthly series of reflections from Consortium’s Senior Leadership Team. Each month, a different member of the team will share updates, insights and sector-wide reflections, helping to connect our strategy to the realities of our work and the experiences of our members. Launching Our 2026–2030 Strategic Plan As we begin 2026, I’ve been reflecting on the journey we’ve

Bridging Generations: Remembering LGBTQIA+ Lives on Holocaust Memorial Day — Proud Changemakers A reflection from Heather Paterson, Chair of Proud Changemakers But Holocaust Memorial Day must also ask another question: whose stories are we choosing to remember, and whose are still missing? As Chair of Proud Changemakers, a charity dedicated to amplifying LGBTQIA+ voices and telling the stories of our communities, that question matters deeply to me. Because for decades, the e

Trump’s assault on LGBTQ+ programmes ‘undoubtedly’ hitting UK charities, warns Stonewall - Left Foot Forward: Leading the UK's progressive debate Stonewall's corporate donations more than halved over the past year. Donald Trump’s ongoing attacks on LGBTQ+ programmes in the US are having a ripple effect across the Atlantic, forcing UK LGBTQ+ charities to operate in what experts describe as an increasingly “hostile environment.” As the US rolls back diversity, equity and inclus

Stonewall Funding Collapse: The Cash Crisis Explained Charities usually run out of money because the world decides that work is too expensive to support politically, rather than because they stop doing good work. The recent financial disclosures from Stonewall reveal a massive shift in how society funds civil rights. The organization burned through nearly all its savings in a single year, losing far more than loose change. The numbers paint a bleak picture of the Stonewall fu

LGBTQ+ charities facing 'incredibly tough environment' in UK LGBTQ+ charities in the UK are facing an increasingly difficult environment to operate in following the ripple effects of the Trump administration’s attacks on diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) and freeze on foreign aid, increased running costs and decreased donations. “Globally, the LGBTQ+ movement is experiencing a period of significant turbulence including a pushback on rights and freedoms. There are signif

UK LGBTQ+ Charities Face ‘Hostile Environment’ as Donations Decline, Experts Warn - fundsforNGOs News LGBTQ+ charities in the UK are facing a significantly more “hostile environment,” with experts warning that financial pressures are intensifying amid a global backlash on equalities programmes. Stonewall, the UK’s largest LGBTQ+ charity, reported that corporate donations more than halved in the last financial year, dropping from £348,636 in 2024 to £143,149 in 2025, while ove

UK LGBTQ+ charities are in ‘hostile environment’ amid falling donations, experts warn | Charities | The Guardian Stonewall’s corporate funding halves against backdrop of US attacks on DEI and freezing of aid for LGBTQ+ causes Libby Brooks Wed 7 Jan 2026 16.59 GMT LGBTQ+ charities in the UK are operating in a newly “hostile environment”, experts have warned, as the ripple effect of Donald Trump’s attacks on equalities programmes sharpens financial pressures. The concerns come

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/reflecting-2025-heather-paterson-u8ode/?trackingId=zGBjbvz8TJCf5HvJ4UT31w%3D%3D As 2025 comes to a close, I’m taking a moment to look back on a year that challenged and inspired me in equal measure. In my roles as Head of Partnerships & Development at Consortium of LGBT+ Voluntary and Community Organisations , Chair at Proud Changemakers , and LGBTQ+ columnist at Exposed Magazine, I’ve worn a variety of hats. So here in the tradition of the "

Protest with Pride and sing along with joy, or songs to fight fascists and fatigue - Out In Jersey media Time for music to get fired up with, songs that speak to your heart’s desire for equality, songs to sing (or shout!) together in a crowd, music to play or hear or sing at demonstrations. These tracks are from 2025, fresh new examples of an engaged, sometimes enraged citizenry creating art to connect communities. And most are by Out Queer artists — but not all. (I won’t be

Statements of Support 2025 | 17-24-30 NationalHCAW At Proud Changemakers, we stand in unwavering solidarity with everyone affected by...

Words Change Because We Do: The Evolution of Language on Sexuality and Gender | by Heather Paterson | Oct, 2025 | Medium All language is...

https://associationofchairs.co.uk/the-chairs-role-in-elevating-diverse-perspectives/ Heather Paterson, Chair of trustees for Proud...

https://www.exposedmagazine.co.uk/arts-culture/float-along-festival-returns-next-month/ It’s June, which means it’s Pride month – and the...