Guernsey Press

Other islands share the Pride

TRAVEL to Guernsey is more difficult than usual, but visitors from other islands did manage to make it to this year’s Channel Islands’ Pride event.

Published
Isle of Man visitors Rakie Bennett and Jenny Elliott at this year’s Pride Parade. (Picture by Juliet Pouteaux, 28680846)

Friday’s flight from the Isle of Man was full, with footballers and Pride revellers.

Among them were siblings Rakie Bennett, 40, and Jenny Elliott, 32. The former is leaning towards being asexual.

‘We weren’t able to have Pride in the Isle of Man,’ they said.

‘It was organised for June, but then there was Covid, which was such a shame. It was going to be our first Pride and people had worked so hard. Everyone was a bit gutted.’

So when the chance to come to Guernsey came up, Mx Bennett jumped at it.

‘I’m so impressed with the event,’ they said.

‘It’s so beautiful and it’s so nice to see everyone involved. Everyone is smiling. It’s just lovely.’

They have only just started talking about their own identity, but said they had seen a real shift in young people.

‘It was not something we ever talked about at school,’ they said.

‘The wonderful thing is people now talk about it as part of everyday life. They are more relaxed and we now have labels to discuss it.’

Sam Hamer also travelled over from the Isle of Man. This was his first trip to Guernsey.

‘Everyone is so lovely and everyone is very accepting and friendly,’ he said.

While it was not possible for Jersey people to travel over without quarantining, people from other islands in the Bailiwick were able to travel over.

Shannon Owers, 28, from Herm, is gay and made sure he was free to travel over for the Guernsey event.

‘It is one of the only Pride events in the world this year, so I had to come,’ he said. ‘I just think it’s a celebration of everything and everyone. And everyone is so happy.’