The Independent Pride List 2024: LGBT+ people who are making change happen

Our list celebrates community's trailblazers and ambassadors

Britain is proud to be viewed as an accepting and inclusive nation, never better seen than during its annual Pride celebrations. Yet, support must be year-round in order to push boundaries and make positive changes in laws and attitudes to ensure the country is an inclusive environment in which everyone can thrive.

In an election year, trans issues continue to be weaponised in politics in an attempt to win votes, while LGBT+ inclusive sex education has become yet another polarising issue, along with the ongoing discourse around toilet use.

Earlier in the year, the tragic and disturbing murder of 16-yearold trans teen Brianna Ghey thrust the severity of abuse and danger away from a sidelined issue and pushed it right into full view for everyone to fully understand. While sobering figures from Stonewall say almost half of young LGBT+ people have thought about trying to take their own life, they are also twice as likely to suffer bullying, anxiety and other mental health issues.

Alongside this, the For Women Scotland group is attempting to reverse gender recognition certificates, which if it happens, would affect thousands of trans people across the whole of the UK, not just Scotland.

There are, though, many positives for the LGBT+ community over the past year, celebrated against the backdrop of queer icon Kylie Minogue’s euphoric hit, “Padam Padam”.

Some key cultural queer moments of the past year include the EastEnders storyline with Zack Hudson. The soap worked with the Terrence Higgins Trust to update the public’s knowledge that people on effective HIV treatment cannot pass the virus on. The BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing also had its second male samesex dancing couple competing on the show, and they even came joint second.