Holy Moly… Pride is a major VIBE and bursting at the seems with an eclectic mix of BIG WONDERFUL ENERGY ✨
I’ve got to be honest, as a solitary witch, I’m not one for jumping ‘Dr Martens’ first into large crowds of people (or events at all for that matter).
So, when I was first asked to support Newcastle Pride, honestly, I felt completely out of my depths.
I’ll be the first to admit, I had a slightly skewed view of what Pride was before I played a part in it.
Naively, I believed it was all glitter, rainbows, loud music and partying. Don’t get me wrong, the glitter is awesome, but Pride is so much BIGGER than that!
It’s a whole community of amazing people who are universally accepting of each other. It’s about standing together, being united, and showing the world that love, and identity are meant to be celebrated, no matter how you choose to express them. It’s about acceptance and standing up together against negativity and hate.
Many of my staff and amazing customers are part of the LGBTQIA+ community. And the more I listened to them, the more I started to understand just how important Newcastle Pride is, not just for them, but for all of us here in the North.
Pride, to me, is a symbol of ‘hope’ and resistance. In a world where things can often feel dark and lonely, Pride stands as a beacon of light that reminds us that we can be resilient and accepted wholly for who we are inside.
And honestly, the LGBTQIA+ community has supported this Geordie Witch so much since opening; showing me and the brand so much love and acceptance. This small act felt like my way of giving something back. Not just to them, but to my local community, my fellow Geordies, too.
You see, there’s something about being part of a marginalised community that creates this unspoken bond. Whether you’re queer or witchy (or both), we’ve all experienced that “otherness”, that feeling of being a little bit out of place in a world that doesn’t always understand us. But, instead of retreating or hiding, Pride, teaches us to stand tall, be proud of who we are, and support each other no matter what.
We have all felt the pressures of societal expectations bearing down on us at some point. Standing together, whether it’s at Pride or through witchy magic, there’s this communal strength that helps us power through life and its ups and downs. It’s the same energy that will get you through those days when the world just feels a little less magical. It’s the power of knowing “you’re not alone”.
So, for me, supporting Pride wasn’t just a business decision. It wasn’t about looking good or ticking some marketing box. It was personal. It was about showing up for the people who have shown up for me, for my team, for my community. It was about standing side by side with a community that deserves to be celebrated, supported, and respected every single day. And, quite frankly, I was just lucky enough to be a small part of it.
Pride reminds us that we are stronger when we stand together. It’s a celebration of love, of courage, and of being unapologetically who we are; “Unapologetically Visible”, as the folks at Northern Pride say. And honestly, if I’m being real, I felt the magic of that day and it very much inspired me do more for the people I call ‘my own’.
So here’s to Pride. Here’s to all of us. And here’s to standing together, in glitter, rain, rainbows, sunshine and all the beauty in between.
