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SHETLAND’S Pride event organisers have urged politicians to stop using the LGBTIA+ community as “political pawns” in a strong joint statement.
Twenty-three Pride organisers across Scotland have put their name to the statement ahead of the International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia tomorrow (Saturday).
They have said they are “deeply alarmed” about the “escalation in the demonisation” of people in the LGBTQIA+ community, particularly trans people.
In the statement, the Pride group have said the US administration’s actions to reverse rights for people in the community have “global implications”, and were encouraging harm to these people in places like Scotland.
“The recent Supreme Court ruling and the subsequent guidance by the Equality and Human Rights Commission are a serious threat to the rights of trans people,” they said.
“Additionally, continued delays to the ban on conversion therapy, the banning of pubertyblockers, and the obstruction of the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill indicate the influence of the anti-LGBTQIA+ lobby in both the UK and Scottish Governments.”
They added that supportive voices were being “continually sidelined, ignored and vilified.”
“As LGBTQIA+ Pride organisers across Scotland, we play a part in bringing our communities together, amplifying their voices and creating safe spaces where people can just be themselves,” they said.
“Current levels of anxiety, fear and anger within the LGBTQIA+ community across Scotland must not be understated.
“The demonisation of our communities must end. We need to be brought in from the cold, listened to and action taken.”
Pride organisers in Shetland, Orkney, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Stirling were among those to put their names to the statement.
Highlands and Islands MSP Ariane Burgess said she felt “ashamed” of how politics in Scotland was “letting down this vulnerable community”.
“Even at the lowest point of the political weaponisation of homophobia in the 80s and 90s, the government wasn’t imposing segregation of public spaces as is happening now to trans people,” she said.
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“The anxiety, fear, and anger felt across LGBTQIA+ communities in Scotland is real and justified. These are not abstract policy debates—these are people’s lives.
“We must listen, we must act, and we must bring our communities in from the cold.
“Pride is not just a celebration—it is a protest, a sanctuary, and a lifeline. I stand with every organiser, every marcher, and every person who simply wants to live with dignity and safety.”
Shetland Pride is set to return for its fourth iteration on Saturday 14 June, with drag acts such as Ivy, Victoria Pier and Lily Minogue set to headline the event at night.
Organisers are also keen to hear from anyone who may be interested in volunteering as stewards at the daytime and night events.
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