
Singers Yungblud and Andy Bell and track star Kelly Holmes named Pride icons
Yungblood, known for songs including Cotton Candy and Fleabag, reflected on his sexuality in an interview with Attitude this month in which he said the label of pansexuality allowed him to 'be who I am'.
Of his music festival BludFest, which will be held in Milton Keynes, the singer said he felt proud of how young people are 'allowed to feel safe in our space, or come out in our space, or really feel loved in our space'.
He has had two number one albums in the UK chart with Weird! in 2020, and his self-titled album in 2022.
Dame Kelly won gold medals in the 800 metres and 1,500 metres at the 2004 Olympics in Athens at the age of 34 and was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year the same year.
She retired in 2005 having won 12 major medals across a 10-year span, including Commonwealth golds over 1,500m in 1994 and 2002.
Since retirement, Holmes has mentored young athletes, worked in TV and as a motivational speaker and written several books.
She was made a Dame by Queen Elizabeth II in the New Year's Honours of 2005 and appointed Honorary Colonel of the Royal Armoured Corps Training Regiment in 2018.
Andy Bell is best known for being half of the synth‑pop duo Erasure, the group behind the hit songs A Little Respect, Sometimes and Always.
The singer released a solo album, Ten Crowns, earlier this year which features a song with the lead singer from Blondie, Debbie Harry.
The Pride awards also honoured other 'heroes of the LGBTQ+ community', including Carla Antonelli, Spain's first openly transgender senator; Caroline Paige, the first openly trans officer in the British military; and the group Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners which featured in the 2014 film Pride and supported striking miners in 1984.
Darren Styles, publisher of Attitude magazine, said: 'The Peugeot Attitude Pride Awards Europe 2025, supported by British Airways, have once again shone a spotlight on the incredible work being done within and for the LGBTQ+ community.
'This year, we're thrilled to celebrate 10 remarkable individuals who embody the spirit of pride, resilience, and progress.
'Their stories and achievements inspire us all and remind us of the power of visibility and authentic self-expression.'
Mr Styles said the Attitude Magazine Foundation had raised almost £20,000 for LGBTQ+ causes through the event on Friday.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Pride in London2025: Thousands line streets to watch parade
The UK's biggest LGBTQ+ event took place on Saturday, with tens of thousands of people on the streets of central Pride in London parade featured dancing and rainbow flags as the celebration began at noon under cool and cloudy estimate more than 30,000 participants from across 500 organisations will take part in the capital's annual Pride crowds watched the brightly-coloured procession as it passed from Hyde Park Corner to its destination in Whitehall.


The Independent
an hour ago
- The Independent
LGBT artists decry Supreme Court ruling as tens of thousands turn out for rainy London Pride parade
As tens of thousands gathered in London for the capital's annual Pride parade, LGBT artists decried the Supreme Court ruling on the definition of a woman and expressed fears trans people are being 'villainised more than ever.' At a rainy Pride in London parade, the mayor of London Sadiq Khan shouted 'happy pride' and thousands of people walked through central London, alongside staff at The Independent, the official news partner for the event. Months after the UK Supreme Court ruled on the definition of a woman, those at the London event, including Olly Alexander, writer Shon Faye and the lead actor in the BBC drama What It Feels Like For A Girl, Ellis Howard, criticised the judgment. Meanwhile, youth demand protesters blocked the parade route wearing Palestine flags. There were shouts for 'trans rights now' as the engines roared and rain started to fall on Saturday afternoon. American pop singer Chaka Khan is headlining the event that saw around 500 organisations file from Hyde Park Corner, through Piccadilly Circus, and on to Whitehall Place. Former Years And Years singer Alexander said: 'Trans people right now, they need our support and love more than ever, they're being villainised, demonised in the press, by a lot of the media, and trans people they're just like us… they're you, they're me. 'They deserve the same respect, the same rights, the same privileges, same opportunities, and that's why pride is so important this year.' The solo artist and Eurovision 2024 contestant added: 'There's been a real backlash against DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) policies and that's been going on for years, and I think we're in a bit of a swing, that's going against where we were maybe five years ago. 'We've had the Supreme Court ruling and I feel like a lot of trans people are scared, rightfully scared, they don't understand… what their lives are going to look like.' In April the Supreme Court ruled that the words 'woman' and 'sex' in the Equality Act 2010 refer to a biological woman and biological sex. Before the march began Shon Faye, author of Love in Exile and The Transgender Issue, said 'we've just seen an unprecedented attack on queer rights and trans rights across the world'. She said: 'For the trans community in particular here in the UK, we've seen an onslaught of misinformation, attacks in the media, and unfortunately, the roll back of human rights in the courts. 'I think (pride) is more important than ever – I think a lot of trans people have been made to feel afraid in public space and pride this year is about taking back public space, and showing what we're not going to be silenced, and we're not going to be intimidated.' Asked what she hoped would change, Faye said: 'I feel like it's not a one year change deal… movements move in generations, I think what we have to do now is accept the reality of the situation we're in and we have to work together with other groups, within the LGBT community and outside it, to really start forming strong coalitions in order to fight this stuff. 'I think where we're going in the UK, unfortunately, this rightward turn is going to continue for some time. The people together are powerful.' She added: 'I think the reality is what some of these attacks are designed to do is exhaust us… we become very focused and frightened and then sometimes it's easier to retreat in and the reality is we need to do the opposite of that – we need to be willing to work with people who aren't necessarily like us'. Howard played Paris Lees in the BBC dramatisation of her memoir and, like Alexander and Faye, was supporting trans rights charity Not A Phase at the parade. He said that 'we're in an incredibly precarious political time' and said pride this year is 'more important than ever'. The actor added: 'I think it's so, so important that we show up as queers, as allies, and we celebrate. Joy is an act of resistance. 'I hope it shows queers of all ages that we stand with you, we are for you, and we love you'. He added: 'The recent Supreme Court ruling concerns me, the lack of proper tangible support from our Government concerns me, the lack of funding to amazing organisations like Not A Phase really, really concerns me. 'But honestly, I look around, I see stuff like this, I see what grassroots activism can do, and the power that that can have'. A YouGov poll released ahead of the event found 67 per cent of people in the UK believe the country is inclusive to LGBTQ+ people, and 60 per cent would not welcome a shift towards more negative attitudes. Simon Blake, chief executive of Stonewall, which commissioned the survey, said despite the findings 'we know many LGBTQ+ people do not feel this in their neighbourhoods and workplaces'. He added: 'In policy terms, the reality is different too. The UK has dropped sharply down the global leaderboard for LGBTQ+ rights.' This year, the UK fell to its lowest-ever ranking for LGBTI human rights, an annual report found. This was because of the Supreme Court ruling and subsequent UK Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) guidance, said the ILGA-Europe's Rainbow Map, which has run since 2009.


The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
LGBT artists decry Supreme Court ruling at rainy London Pride parade
LGBT artists including singer and actor Olly Alexander decried the Supreme Court ruling on the definition of a woman and expressed fears trans people are being 'villainised more than ever' at a rainy Pride in London parade. Writer Shon Faye and the lead actor in the BBC drama What It Feels Like For A Girl, Ellis Howard, also criticised the judgment. The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan shouted 'happy pride' and thousands people started to walk through central London, led by a more than a dozen motorcyclists from LGBT groups. There were shouts for 'trans rights now' as the engines roared and rain started to fall on Saturday afternoon. American pop singer Chaka Khan is headlining the event that saw around 500 organisations file from Hyde Park Corner, through Piccadilly Circus, and on to Whitehall Place. Former Years And Years singer Alexander told the PA news agency: 'Trans people right now, they need our support and love more than ever, they're being villainised, demonised in the press, by a lot of the media, and trans people they're just like us… they're you, they're me. 'They deserve the same respect, the same rights, the same privileges, same opportunities, and that's why pride is so important this year.' The solo artist and Eurovision 2024 contestant added: 'There's been a real backlash against DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) policies and that's been going on for years, and I think we're in a bit of a swing, that's going against where we were maybe five years ago. 'We've had the Supreme Court ruling and I feel like a lot of trans people are scared, rightfully scared, they don't understand… what their lives are going to look like.' In April the Supreme Court ruled the words 'woman' and 'sex' in the Equality Act 2010 refer to a biological woman and biological sex. Before the march began Shon Faye, author of Love in Exile and The Transgender Issue, said 'we've just seen an unprecedented attack on queer rights and trans rights across the world'. She told PA: 'For the trans community in particular here in the UK, we've seen an onslaught of misinformation, attacks in the media, and unfortunately the roll back of human rights in the courts. 'I think (pride) is more important than ever – I think a lot of trans people have been made to feel afraid in public space and pride this year is about taking back public space, and showing what we're not going to be silenced, and we're not going to be intimidated.' Asked what she hoped would change, Faye said: 'I feel like it's not a one year change deal… movements move in generations, I think what we have to do now is accept the reality of the situation we're in and we have to work together with other groups, within the LGBT community and outside it, to really start forming strong coalitions in order to fight this stuff. 'I think where we're going in the UK, unfortunately this rightward turn is going to continue for some time. The people together are powerful.' She added: 'I think the reality is what some of these attacks are designed to do is exhaust us… we become very focused and frightened and then sometimes it's easier to retreat in and the reality is we need to do the opposite of that – we need to be willing to work with people who aren't necessarily like us'. Howard played Paris Lees in the BBC dramatisation of her memoir and, like Alexander and Faye, was supporting trans rights charity Not A Phase at the parade. He told PA that 'we're in an incredibly precarious political time' and said pride this year is 'more important than ever'. The actor added: 'I think it's so, so important that we show up as queers, as allies, and we celebrate. Joy is an act of resistance. 'I hope it shows queers of all ages that we stand with you, we are for you, and we love you'. He added: 'The recent Supreme Court ruling concerns me, the lack of proper tangible support from our Government concerns me, the lack of funding to amazing organisations like Not A Phase really, really concerns me. 'But honestly, I look around, I see stuff like this, I see what grassroots activism can do, and the power that that can have'. A YouGov poll released ahead of the event found 67% of people in the UK believe the country is inclusive to LGBTQ+ people, and 60% would not welcome a shift towards more negative attitudes. Simon Blake, chief executive of Stonewall, which commissioned the survey, said despite the findings 'we know many LGBTQ+ people do not feel this in their neighbourhoods and workplaces'. He added: 'In policy terms, the reality is different too. 'The UK has dropped sharply down the global leaderboard for LGBTQ+ rights.' This year the UK fell to its lowest-ever ranking for LGBTI human rights, an annual report found. This was because of the Supreme Court ruling and subsequent UK Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) guidance, said the ILGA-Europe's Rainbow Map, which has run since 2009.