Celebrating Pride Month at RHN

At the RHN, we prioritise maintaining a supportive community, ensuring no individual faces discrimination for who they are. From the 24th to the 30th of June, the Pride@RHN LGBTQ+ staff network celebrated Pride Month with a range of activities, including cinema nights with Pride movies, Pride in London parade, and a spectacular cabaret performance from our special guest and star of Drag Race UK Season 4, Pixie Polite.

On Monday 24 June, Pixie Polite joined patients, residents and staff in the art room to run some masterclasses in drag makeup. Once the looks were finessed, Pixie hosted a mini catwalk, with resident Ruth serving the best looks and snatching the prize. Following this, Pixie kicked off her cabaret set, performing a range of songs from Shania Twain to ABBA. The show was a large hit, with everyone demanding an encore. A special thank you to Pixie Polite for joining us in the celebration of Pride Month.

An important aspect of Pride is increasing the visibility of identities within the community, creating an appreciative and accepting space for all LBTQ+ groups. One way in which the RHN delivered this was with the showcasing of two Pride movies during cinema nights, Pride (2014) and The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994).

To mark the end of celebrations, RHN then attended the Pride in London Parade on Saturday 29 June, which is the UK’s largest and most diverse pride event. It was the third year in a row that members of the RHN LGBTQ+ community and allies participated in the parade. This year, a record 80 staff members from RHN attended the event to represent the hospital and show our support for all individuals, truly representing our value of seeing the whole person, without any discrimination or prejudice.

We are proud to celebrate the diversity within and beyond our organisation. Thank you to everyone who has made this year’s Pride celebration a wonderful experience!