Pride with Purpose
In 2025, Pride is a celebration. But let’s not forget that Pride, even today, is also a protest. It all started back in 1969 at the Stonewall Inn in New York, where a group of patrons decided to fight back against the police who were raiding the gay bar.
This marked the first milestone of the modern-day gay rights movement. Since that year, we celebrate their courage and remember the lives we’ve lost- not just that day, but throughout the years- at the end of June in most countries.
Fast forward to 1993, when homosexuality was decriminalised in Ireland. This was a huge step toward equality for the LGBTQIA+ community. That moment, along with the work of countless activists and supporters, laid the foundation for the Marriage Equality Referendum, which was passed by public vote with a 62% majority- the first in the world to do so- and enacted on the 16th of November 2015.
Let me highlight that this year, in 2025, Ireland- along with the Irish LGBTQIA+ community and its allies- will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of the acceptance of the Marriage Referendum. A law that changed the lives of many in this country. A law that allowed our community to be themselves and to show it. A law that allowed us to love.
While the 2015 Marriage Equality Referendum marked a monumental moment in Ireland’s journey toward inclusion, and 2025 sees us celebrating a decade of that progress, it’s important to remember that equality on paper doesn't always mean equality in experience. Legal rights can open doors, but true belonging takes ongoing effort, visibility, and understanding. I came to appreciate this more deeply in 2022, when I moved to Ireland and began to witness- and question- what Pride means in a country that has already achieved so much. Why do people still feel the need to protest for something that seems already accepted?
That same year, I joined my company’s (LinkedIn) LGBTQIA+ Employee Resource Group, Out@In, which helped me understand the reason why. Even in a country where being part of the community is widely accepted, there’s still a long way to go.
When I was offered the opportunity to become the Global Showcase Lead for the ERG in 2023, I came to understand even more clearly why we need to keep marching every June.
Throughout my journey, I’ve met many members of the LGBTQIA+ community from all around the world. I’ve learned about the challenges they face in different countries.
I learned that there are still 64 countries in the world where being part of the LGBTQIA+ community is criminalised. I also learned that even in countries where it isn’t, people still experience hate speech, discrimination, and physical violence- simply for walking hand in hand with their same-sex partner.
In recent months, we’ve seen rights stripped away from members of our community in several countries. Rights that were fought for. Rights that we fought for.
This is why Pride is important.
As a Global Showcase Lead, I oversee Pride events throughout the month of June across 28 offices around the world — from Sydney to San Francisco. Together with an amazing Global Leadership Team, I have the pleasure of working to raise awareness about our community, to educate our employee population about the challenges we face, and to welcome our allies with open arms as they stand with us on this journey.
Over the years, as part of this incredible community and through my involvement with the ERG at LinkedIn, I’ve learned that while we’ve accomplished a lot, there are still many more marches to take, many more stories to tell, and many more conversations to have- until one day, hopefully, we no longer need to march at all on Pride Day.
Global Showcase Lead, Out@In Employee Resource Group (LinkedIn)
