June 2023

Pride and why it matters

“It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences.” Audre Lorde

Pride is a month-long celebration of the LGBTQIA+ community. The occasion continues an important annual protest throughout June, with global marches and activism.

CEO Message

“At Vercity, we’re proud to support our teams, clients, delivery partners, and the end-users of our built assets acknowledging Pride this year.  We are a diverse community who can inspire and uplift each other.  We should always strive to raise the bar in everything we do, including how we embrace FREDIE Principles (Fairness, Respect, Equality, Diversity, Inclusion and Engagement) which are embedded in our culture and the way we do business, and we’ll always  support the LGBTQIA+ Community and its allies. Hopefully, we are sending a strong signal that we ensure equal opportunities and fair treatment for everyone at Vercity, regardless of sexual orientation and/or gender identity.”

Richard Hoare, Vercity Group Chief Executive Officer

History

28 June 1969 saw the raid of Stonewall Inn, a gay club in Greenwich Village, New York. Following this, protests lasting over six days demanded that the LGBTQ+ community were given a space to be open and safe surrounding their sexuality without fear of arrest.

Many credit the Stonewall riots for facilitating initial rights not offered to the LGBTQ+ community. The first Pride march happened in 1970 in New York, to mark their one-year anniversary.

Present Day

In 2023, homosexuality is illegal in over 60 countries globally. More than 10 countries still carry capital punishment for homosexual activity.

“This year marks 20 years since Section 28, the law that banned ‘promotion of homosexuality’ in the UK, was repealed. It was an attack on LGBTQ+ visibility, and together we resisted. And we’ve made progress in leaps and bounds since. But with parts of our community still under attack, we must remember why we can’t go back, and come together to keep moving forward. Let’s learn from our past and keep standing in solidarity to make history for our communities!”

Stonewall Charity, 2023

Ministry of Defence main building lit to celebrate the 20-year anniversary of the lifting of the ban on LGB personnel joining the armed forces. Vercity staff at Modus created and installed the lighting solution on behalf of the MOD and were proud to be a part of the occasion.