There is a rhythm to change. On the train heading north, the rhythmic clickety-clack feels like momentum itself—a physical movement toward a space we are actively helping to shape.

Returning to Ballymena for its second Pride is a deeply personal full-circle journey. For many of us, growing up in towns like this meant learning the exhausting art of invisibility. We learned to quiet our differences, blend into the background, or leave entirely to find spaces where we could simply breathe and exist as ourselves. Whether navigating a world not built for neurodivergence or a society hesitant to embrace LGBT identities, the toll of hiding who you are stems from the exact same human ache: the fear that you do not belong in the place you call home.

But diversity isn’t a modern trend imported from the outside. We have always been here. We are the sons, daughters, neighbours, and friends who grew up on these streets, attended these schools, and walked these paths.

That is why a local, hometown Pride matters so deeply. It transforms visibility from an abstract concept into a practical, grounding reality. When we step up to the front—whether carrying a rainbow flag twinned with memories of Gibraltar or standing as a marshal to keep a steady, calm presence amidst the tension—we aren’t staging a stunt. We are building a tradition.

Every new tradition has to start somewhere, and its continuation proves it was never a one-off. By showing up, standing tall, and bringing our whole, authentic selves back to the places that once felt small, we send a vital message to anyone still wondering if there is room for them: You are not alone, you are seen, and you belong exactly as you are.

This reflection grew out of a short poem written on the train journey north to Mid & East Antrim Pride.

Not a Stunt

Clickety clack, clickety clack
We speed along the track
To Dublin Belfast and beyond
For the Pride day has come
To Ballymena do we go
With laughter on our drum.

A rainbow Rock flag in our bag
For twinned with Gibraltar
Is the city of seven towers.
Still proudly at the front
we lead with joy our love to show
The world it’s not a stunt.

Read more of my thoughts on the practical side of marshalling, faith, and local community over on Gyronny Herald.