Pride, Rebooted: Isle of Man’s LGBTQ+ Charity To Make A Fabulous Comeback

After a bit of a wobble in 2022, Isle of Pride – the Isle of Man’s own LGBTQ+ charity – is officially back on its feet, strutting into the spotlight with new leadership, fresh plans, and events that’ll have your calendar looking fabulous.

The drama? In 2022, the previous board called it a day and announced the charity would be winding up. Cue sad violins.

But in true comeback-kid style, a brand-new board stepped in as of September 2024 – and they’ve been busy rebuilding, reimagining, and re-queering the mission ever since.

Now, Isle of Pride is on a mission to be more than a one-weekend-a-year rainbow bonanza. Think: visible, vocal, and very much year-round.

Talks with partner organisations are already in motion, focusing on the big stuff – rights, representation, and support for LGBTQ+ folks on the island.

A spokesperson from the charity summed it up: ‘In a world where the news often feels like a never-ending bad sequel, it’s never been more important for marginalised communities to have a voice.

‘We’re here to be that voice – and to remind everyone that no one should feel alone on this island.’

And yes, while there’s serious work happening, there’s also room for joy, glitter, and dancing in the street.

The team is teaming up with Extra Fancy Ltd and Heron and Brearley for a sparkle-fuelled ‘On the Quay’ event on August 30, right along North Quay in Douglas. Mark your diaries – and maybe your outfit plans too.

Looking further ahead, there’s a relaunch event planned for September, and while the big, bold, all-out Pride celebration is skipping 2025, it’ll be back with a bang in 2026. (Great things take time, darling.)

But wait – there’s more!

Alongside the confetti and community spirit, Isle of Pride is launching something called ‘Chree’ (Manx for ‘heart’ – because we’re bilingual and sentimental).

It’s a year-round programme focused on education, training, and safe spaces – basically, a hug for the community, but with actionable outcomes.

The charity’s director, James Cherry, commented: ‘With our new board and committee, I’m buzzing to support and work alongside the island’s LGBTQ+ community. It’s about celebrating who we are and pushing for real equality.’

A quick history lesson: Isle of Pride was born in 2019 with dreams of rainbow flags and island-wide festivities.

Thanks to COVID, the first Pride party didn’t hit the streets until June 2021 – but when it did, it brought a 50-metre rainbow flag and a wave of much-needed colour through the heart of Douglas.

Then came the 2022 hiatus… but let’s not dwell. Like all the best divas, Isle of Pride has returned – stronger, sassier, and with a spreadsheet of plans.