LGBTQ+ group makes community feel 'less alone'

Zoe and Anna Lowey (right) got married in 2018

Members of the Manx LGBTQ+ community have said the return of a group that champions equality and inclusion will help people to feel "less alone".

Isle of Pride was relaunched last month following a three-year hiatus.

Plans announced so far include the return of a dedicated Pride event in 2026 and a scheme to deliver education and training initiatives.

Group supporter Anna Lowey said: "For those without a support network, Isle of Pride will be that light at the end of the tunnel, to know that there are people that understand".

Homosexual acts were decriminalised on the island in 1992, 25 years after England and Wales and 12 years after Scotland.

An "unqualified apology" was issued in 2020 by the then chief minister Howard Quayle to gay men convicted of same-sex offences under previous Manx laws, with pardons granted for the historical convictions on the island the following year.

The Isle of Man's first Pride event took place in the Villa Marina Gardens on June 2021.

But it was announced in September the following year the directors had "unanimously resolved to wind up Isle of Pride, after considering that the time is right for new ideas to be explored and steered" by the LGBTQ+ community.

The group was established with the aim of holding a Pride event on the Isle of Man

Ms Lowey said it had been "upsetting to lose that voice for the community because they'd had such a positive impact".

"We're a small island, when you're going through that process of figuring out who you are it's crucial to have someone you can look at and think they managed to get through their internal battles," she said.

The 32-year-old said she "didn't have that so it was quite a dark and lonely place", before he was "very fortunate" to get support from family and friends after speaking to them about her sexuality at the age of 19.

'Support system'

Ms Lowey, who married partner Zoe and Isle of Pride committee member in 2018, said the first Pride event in 2021 "really shifted my perspective and made me feel less alone".

"Some people think rainbow flags on buildings and pride celebrations mean nothing, but for people like me it makes me feel more included," she said.

She was "ecstatic" the charity was returning as it would send the message there was "a support system" and that would "make such a difference to so many LGBTQ people", she added.

Vida LaFierce said Pride events on the island had been "missed by a lot people"

Manx Drag Queen Vida LaFierce said the island inaugural Pride parade and festival, which was attended by more than 8,500 people, had been "very emotional".

"The atmosphere was amazing and you got a really sense that history was being made," she said.

A member of the newly re-formed Isle of Pride board, the drag music act said it was "immensely important" the event was returning as it had "been missed by a lot people".

It could "feel very isolating" growing up on an island "but every little bit of acceptance helps", she said.

Performing as LaFierce to Manx audiences had "unlocked a strength and confidence I would never have dreamed of having" and taught me "everyone should have the right to be who they are".

Reflecting on taking to the stage at the second Pride event in 2022, she said: "I just remember looking out to this huge crowd and seeing like endless smiles.

"I had the best time ever and so I'm looking forward to being part of that again."

James Cherry is part of the new team leading the reformed Isle of Pride

When reviving the group, the new board of directors said it was "vital that people of marginalised communities have a voice and representation".

Director James Cherry said while the Isle of Man had been "progressive in some areas" it had been "late to the party in others".

"If LGBTQ+ people show affection to their partner on the street they can still get some strange looks and comments, but someone of a heterosexual relationship wouldn't have that," he said.

"Our message is love is love, you should be able to love the person you love and not be criticised for it," he continued.

"We need to work on equality for everyone, so everyone is respected for who they are."

As well as preparing for a Pride event next year, the group is also progressing plans for education and training programme that will include a safe spaces initiative for members of the LGBTQ+ community called Chree - which is Manx Gaelic for heart.