If you’re reading this, chances are you’ve seen our amazing pride window and followed the QR
code to find us here. Hello! And if you’ve stumbled upon this page on the world wide web,
welcome.
After the global pandemic, the ongoing war in the Ukraine, and a plethora of life’s hurdles, we
thought what better way to up the feel good than sharing information during pride month.
PRIDE – an acronym for Personal Rights In Defence and Education – is synonymous with the
term LGBTQ+ (LGBTQIA+ or as it’s sometimes known, LGBTQIA2S+ – but more on that later),
and stems from the stonewall riots on 28th June 1969 in New York City. In the 60’s in New York
(along with many other places in America and across the globe) it was illegal to be homosexual,
and following a police raid on a gay bar, riots broke out in and around stonewall to campaign for
the rights of what is now known as the LGBTQ+ community.
Could you imagine, in 2022, being discriminated against because of your gender or sexuality?
Sadly, although a lot of old-fashioned laws which made being homosexual illegal have now been
quashed, discrimination is still a large part of life for those within the pride community. That’s why
it’s important to share information and talk about it.
So, in the ever-loving spirit of pride, here is a quick whistlestop tour of all words pride related.
• PRIDE – you should have this one down by now, it’s above! Personal Rights In Defence
and Education. For anyone wondering if there should or could one day, be a hetero pride –
ask yourself this: have you been discriminated against because of your sexuality? So long
as the answer is no, there is no need for heterosexual pride.
• Stonewall – have you been paying attention?! This is where the riots took place, following a
police raid and brutality to homosexuals, and eventually lead to improving rights for those
identifying as LGBTQ+
• LGBTQIA2S+ – Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and or questioning, Intersex,
Asexual, two-spirit and countless other affirmative ways in which people choose to identify
– more on these coming up!
• Lesbian – a person who identifies as female, who is sexually attracted to other females
• Gay – someone who is sexually attracted to the same gender that they identify as
• Bisexual – someone who is sexually attracted to male and female genders
• Transgender – a person who doesn’t identify with the sex they were assigned at birth.
• Queer or questioning – this is a little harder to define, and to some degree encompasses
the entire LGBTQIAT+ community. It could be considered that queer means anything other
than ‘average’. Some individuals identifying as queer might also identify as pansexual,
which is where the person, irrespective of their gender, is attracted to another person
regardless of their gender (essentially being attracted to the person, despite their gender).
Questioning is an individual that is unsure of where they fit into the LGBTQIAT+ community
and is questioning what they think, what they feel and what they believe.
• Intersex refers to an individual who at birth had both genders. In some countries, surgery is
provided at birth to try and ensure that the child will grow and develop in a binary way (as
male OR female) however, these surgeries and now considered by some to be barbaric
and unnecessary, as surgery tries to ‘irradicate’ intersex by choosing a binary gender.
• Asexual – this term is used by individuals who don’t experience sexual attraction, they
could be cisgender, transgender, or non-binary
• Two-spirit – two spirit is a term from the native American community which describes a
person who identifies as both male and female – as if they were ‘two spirits’. Although this
term only came into popular culture in the 1990’s, it describes something that indigenous
people were persecuted for many centuries beforehand.
• Non-binary – a person who doesn’t identify as male or female. Binary is a linear way of
thinking or organising something – i.e., a ‘black and white point of view’ so if your gender
was binary, you would identify as male OR female. So, following that same logic, nonbinary is neither male nor female.
• Cis – cis or cisgender, is a person who identifies with the sex they were assigned at birth.
• Gender: A social construct used to classify a person as a man, woman, or some other
identity. Fundamentally different from the sex one is assigned at birth; a set of social,
psychological, and emotional traits, often influenced by societal expectations
• Heterosexism: The assumption that all people are or should be heterosexual. Heterosexism
excludes the needs, concerns, and life experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual and queer
people while it gives advantages to heterosexual people. It is often a subtle form of
oppression, which reinforces realities of silence and invisibility.
• Pronouns – this is the way in which you would refer to a person if you weren’t using their
name. for example, Frankie is an individual who identifies as male. Frankies pronouns are
him/his. Jude is an individual who identifies as non-binary, Jude’s pronouns are they/them.
There are literally hundreds of different pronouns
If you’re still reading, hey! Clearly the list is not exhaustive. Is anyone wondering why we’re going
on about pride? If you have more questions, here are some answers from us.
We work with the LGBTQ+ community, and we’ve heard first hand the way in which time has
stood still, and the world hasn’t evolved for members of this community. We are proud to work with
the NHS Gender Identity Clinic (GiC) Devon partnership, at The Laurels. This is based in Exeter
and is the closest GiC for the southwest. There are 7 GiC’s in England, the next closest ones
being London or Northampton.
Our collaboration with the Laurels means that we can accept referrals for hair removal treatment.
Yes, you read that right. If you’re transgendered, in collaboration with The Laurels, you can
receive NHS funding for hair removal treatment. We are also proud to be part of the TransFriendly
network, an organisation that aims to help trans individuals identify businesses that they will be
safe and respected in.
At The Laser Clinic, our staff have completed transgender awareness training. Our clinical lead
nurse has written for the Journal of Aesthetic nursing on treating individuals who identify as
transgender for the purpose of hair removal. But do you know what I think tops that, and can’t be
quantified? We’re genuinely kind, respectful and non-judgemental.
So, how do you identify? Are you part of the LGBTQ+ community, or are you an ally? How will you
be celebrating pride this year? Head on over to facebook and let us know @The Laser Clinic
(Swindon) – or give us a mention @RWBLaserclinic on twitter, where we will be sharing more
information on LGBTQIA2+ organisations, charities, and much, much more. We hope to see you
soon!