About ParaPride

ParaPride exists to address the lack of inclusion for disabled people within the LGBTQ+ community; to provide more accessible LGBTQ+ spaces; and to promote celebration of our different bodies.

ParaPride is built on lived experience

ParaPride is a grassroots empowerment charity that advocates for the visibility, education and awareness of LGBTQ+ disabled people. We exist because of a simple truth: our community has always been here – bold, creative and resilient, and we deserve spaces that reflect that.

ParaPride grew from a recognition that disabled people are too often left out of LGBTQ+ spaces, and that LGBTQ+ identity is too often overlooked within disability communities. We started with a need to address the lack of inclusion for disabled people within the LGBTQ+ community, to create more accessible spaces, and to promote body positivity – celebrating all bodies, in all their forms.

“We do not want to be defined by our disabilities. We are only disabled by the barriers presented by society.”

Entirely volunteer-led

ParaPride is run entirely by volunteers. Every campaign, event, workshop and resource is shaped by people who bring not just their skills, but their own lived experience of being LGBTQ+ and disabled.

Our lived experiences are central to our values. The decisions we make, the voices we platform, and the causes we champion are all informed by the realities of navigating two communities that can sometimes feel like they exist independently of each other.

The people behind ParaPride are what make it work. You can find out more about the team, including our trustees and marketing team on our team page.

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Entirely volunteer-led

ParaPride is run entirely by volunteers. Every campaign, event, workshop and resource is shaped by people who bring not just their skills, but their own lived experience of being LGBTQ+ and disabled.

Our lived experiences are central to our values. The decisions we make, the voices we platform, and the causes we champion are all informed by the realities of navigating two communities that can sometimes feel like they exist independently of each other.

The people behind ParaPride are what make it work. You can find out more about the team, including our trustees and marketing team on our team page.

The importance of ParaPride’s mission

Being LGBTQ+ and disabled can feel profoundly isolating. Alongside the prejudice and discrimination that each identity can bring separately, people at this intersection face access barriers that prevent full participation in community life. LGBTQ+ spaces can feel unwelcoming because of disability. Disability spaces can feel alienating because of sexual orientation or gender identity.

Despite this, there are still no consistently accessible spaces in the UK specifically for LGBTQ+ disabled people to socialise, explore their identity and find genuine community. Given that as many as 40% of LGBTQ+ people are disabled, that gap is urgent – and it needs to change.

“Our community has always existed. We are bold, creative and resilient.”

We want every LGBTQ+ disabled person to feel pride in who they are.

Get involved

ParaPride’s mission addresses a stark lack of visibility and education around people who sit at the intersection of being disabled and LGBTQ+.

We work to educate wider society on making venues and public spaces more inclusive – and we provide a safe platform where LGBTQ+ disabled people can connect, be heard and feel proud of who they are.

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