David Burton-Sampson

David Burton-Sampson

Labour — Southend West and Leigh

Speaking in the House of Commons on 23 June 2025

Debate

Pride Month

Contribution

I draw Members to my declarations of interest. As many of us know, the Pride movement started with the Stonewall riots in 1969, but some people now see Pride as a party. It certainly did not start that way, and for many of us it is still a protest and will continue to be so until we genuinely do not need Pride anymore. My Pride journey started as a bystander, until I became a councillor in 2018, when somebody decided to post literature all around the town of Basildon, telling the LGBT community to repent. Instead of getting angry, we organised Basildon mini-Pride within two weeks and showed that we were here to stay. It turned into a full-on Pride that is still going strong, with a programme of events throughout the year as part of the Basildon Pride Everyday programme. I am proud to still be chair of trustees for that Pride, and thank all its members and the volunteers who contribute to its work.

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