Pride Month, celebrated during the typically during the month of June, is an opportunity to for local and global communities to highlight LGBTQ+ causes and celebrate through festivals, parades, and other communal events. As stated by The Proud Trust, Pride was “born from the Stonewall riots of 1969 and the early gay liberation movement, and as such from its inception has had a strong political drive.”

So, what does Pride and LGBTQ+ advocacy have to do with volunteering?

Well, scholars have noted that “for many people, volunteering is a political action,” and therefore, is inherently tied to movements surrounding justice, advocacy, and social impact (Erdoğan Coşkun). That being said, there are also scholars who have theorised around the conceptual distinction between activists and volunteers, citing that volunteering “does not directly aim at structural change as activism does. The primary goal of volunteerism appears to be improving social life through service” (Erdoğan Coşkun).

However, the Pride and historical LGBTQ+ Movement in London challenges this notion, suggesting that activism and volunteering can be more nuanced than the traditional distinctions. The first widely documented instance of voluntary action for the movement was in the 1960s, likely reflecting the fact that “prior to 1967, male homosexuality was illegal both in public and in private” (Howes). The Homosexual Law Reform Society was created in 1958 to campaign for the decriminalisation of homosexuality. At the same time, women were also discreetly participating in voluntary action through the Arena Three magazine, a “ground-breaking contribution to the lesbian community and its history” for the time, as it explored topics such as the meanings of lesbian identities.

The Sexual Offences Act 1967 was only the spark for more organising surrounding the LGBTQ+ Movement in the 70s. Expansion of advocacy and activism included “advice and counselling services, such as Albany Trust, Friend and Icebreakers, as well as telephone information services like the London Lesbian and Gay Switchboard and similar services in other cities,” which were “almost entirely staffed by volunteers” (Howes). Some organisations were provided with funding by the government and local authorities in the 1980s with the HIV/AIDS crisis, but many initiatives were left to be sustained entirely by volunteers.

More contemporary Pride and LGBTQ+ Movement voluntary action have exploded into new spheres, often providing empowering spaces for social connection, such as “religious groups, leisure groups (outdoor walking, choirs, line-dancing), sports (rubgy, football, cycling).” Again, many of these groups were maintained through the labour of volunteers, though some have gone on to be cemented as charities and receive funding from government or grants.

So, these LGBTQ+ initiatives, dating back to the 1960s, created the foundation for many amazing organisations and charities who operate today to advance the contemporary LGBTQ+ movement through helplines, support networks, healthcare, and other service measures. For example, the Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) is one of our charity partners; they are currently the UK’s “leading HIV and sexual health charity, and one of the largest in Europe,” and their beginnings can be traced back to the activism and voluntary action of the Aled Richards Trust in the 1980s, which was later incorporated into the THT.

As the Pride and LGBTQ+ Movement demonstrates, it might be understood that many activists are volunteers, not all volunteers are activists. When volunteers are organising around a social cause which seeks to transform systems, rather than work around or with them, elements of structural change are required and the distinction between volunteering and activism is muddled. It is important to note that the history of voluntary action surrounding LGBTQ+ Movement was often created out of necessity for services and support that LGBTQ+ people did not have access to.

Today, voluntary action and volunteering are at the heart of the movement’s cause. We want to take some time to highlight our charity partners and other amazing London and UK charities that imagine and act towards a more inclusive future for LGBTQ+ people, who are always looking for new volunteers to join their missions:

• Stonewall: “At Stonewall, we stand for lesbian, gay, bi, trans, queer, questioning and ace (LGBTQ+) people everywhere. We imagine a world where all LGBTQ+ people are free to be ourselves and can live our lives to the full.”
• MindOut: “MindOut is a mental health service run by and for lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and queer (LGBTQ) people. We work to improve the mental health and wellbeing of all LGBTQ communities and to make mental health a community concern.”
• Mermaids: “Supporting trans, non-binary and gender-diverse children, young people and their families since 1995”
•  London Friend: “Established in 1972 London Friend is the UK’s oldest Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans charity. We are here to support the health and mental wellbeing of the LGBT community in and around London.”
• Mosaic Trust: “Our mission is to support, educate and inspire young LGBT+ persons and those around them. We do this by providing accessible activities, programmes and services that aim to empower community members, provide essential resources, advocate for young LGBT+ rights, and embrace, promote and endorse the diversity of young persons.”
• London LGBTQ+ Community Centre: “The London LGBTQ+ Community Centre is a sober, intersectional community centre and café where all LGBTQ+ people are welcome, supported, can build connections and can flourish. Our vision is for a more connected, belonging and thriving LGBTQ+ community in London.”