The Islands of Guernsey are a safe place for everyone to express their true, authentic selves, and we are proud to celebrate the range of different communities, cultures and beliefs that make up our Islands.
Each year we celebrate and stand in solidarity with the LGBTQIA+ community with an annual Pride celebration, Channel Islands Pride. This joint event between the Islands of Guernsey and our neighbour, Jersey is organised by Liberate, the Channel Islands' equality and diversity charity.
To find out more about the history of Pride on our Islands, what to expect from the celebrations and the history of the LGBTQIA+ community on the Islands of Guernsey, read on.
What is Pride?
Pride is the annual celebration of the LGBTQIA+ community. There are events held globally, from marches and parades to evening celebrations, shows and filmed broadcasts. Pride is also a protest, working to create a more inclusive and equal world, and to protect the rights of LGBTQIA+ people.
The organisers of Channel Islands Pride say:
"We have a long tradition of welcoming diverse people to our Islands, a tradition that breeds tolerance of difference. We are fortunate that for generations this attitude has prevailed in our people, our laws and our leaders, meaning that, as a democratic society, we can hold differing views and our differences are resolved through debate not violence.
However, for individuals to be truly free to embrace all aspects of their personalities and be proud of who they are differences must be more than tolerated; they must not only be accepted but celebrated.
That is the essence of CI Pride. It is for this reason that we invite everyone to join us to show that we not only accept but support diversity and are proud to celebrate it."
When is Pride celebrated in the Channel Islands?
Pride month, a month dedicated to celebrating Pride, is typically held in June in the UK, with the Channel Islands Pride events most often taking place in early-to-mid September. The event takes place from a Thursday to Sunday with events during the day and evenings.
Where is Channel Islands Pride celebrated?
Channel Islands Pride is a joint celebration including Guernsey, Alderney, Herm, Sark and Jersey. Typically, the events are held in Guernsey and Jersey as they are the two largest Channel Islands, with people from other Islands and further afield visiting us to join in the celebrations.
Generally, the Island that hosts Pride switches each year, but in some cases, the celebrations are pan-Island, with Pride starting on one Island and ending on the other.
On Guernsey, pride events take place all over the Island. The majority of the larger events take place in St Peter Port, including a march through town (often on Saturday), which ends in Market Square, where there is a stage, performances, stalls and more.
Who organises the Channel Islands Pride events?
Channel Islands Pride is organised by Liberate, the Channel Islands’ equality and diversity charity. The charity has branches in Jersey and Guernsey, serving islanders in both Bailiwicks.
Liberate Guernsey, the Guernsey branch of the charity, was established in 2014 to include, inform and support the LGBTQIA+ communities across the Channel Islands.
What can you expect from Channel Islands Pride?
At our Channel Islands Pride events, you’ll find activities for people of all ages and interests, including family areas, live music performances and a whole variety of acts from bands and solo artists to drag queens and comedy, as well as Channel Islands Pride apparel to get you into the spirit. In addition to the main stage parties and silent discos, there are also art and community exhibitions, a wellbeing zone and a quiet accessibility zone, for those who prefer a more chilled approach to Pride.
In Guernsey, you'll find rainbow and pride flags being flown from buildings around the Island, see the Market Place steps painted the colours of the pride flag (with eco-friendly chalk, of course) and feel the sense of solidarity and celebration from the local LGBTQIA+ community and allies on our Islands.
The programme usually follows a structure of relaxed day events on Thursday and Friday with evening activities for adults; the Pride March and main celebrations on Saturday, followed by an evening After Party; and finally a brunch-time celebration on Sunday.
The history of Pride in the Channel Islands
Pride events have been taking place in the Channel Islands annually for several years now, with each year consistently being bigger and better than the year before. A few notable years include:
- The first-ever Channel Islands pride event took place in Jersey in 2015. It was estimated that a crowd of 3,000 people from the Channel Islands and beyond came together to celebrate.
- The first pan-Island pride event was one year later in 2016. There were events in both Guernsey and Jersey and the theme was ‘United Through Pride’, with the entirety of the Channel Islands coming together to celebrate as one.
- In 2022, Channel Islands Pride joined the rest of the world in marking 50 years since the first UK Pride in 1972 with a series of 70s-themed events. These events were held in Guernsey and there was a weeklong celebration to commemorate the landmark occasion.
The history of LGBTQIA+ rights on the Islands of Guernsey
LGBTQIA+ rights on the Islands of Guernsey have improved significantly in the past decades, and we are constantly fighting to ensure equality for all, whether that is here on our Islands or further afield. Pride gives us a chance to celebrate how far we have come, whilst remembering the changes that have been, and still must be, made. Some of the major moments for the advancement of LGBTQIA+ rights on our Islands include:
- Homosexuality was decriminalised in Guernsey in 1984.
- Discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity has been banned since 2004.
- Transgender people have been allowed to legally change their gender since 2007.
- Adoption for same-sex couples was legalised in April 2017.
- Same-sex marriage was legalised on the 2nd May 2017 in Guernsey, 14th June 2018 in Alderney and 11th March 2020 in Sark.
What is happening for Channel Islands Pride this year?
You can view the full programme of events at channelislandspride.org
