LGBTQ+ Pride Month 2024

Philip from Cornwall had a great time dancing at St Austell Pride celebration. In Dorset, Julia made a Pride poster for her flat.

Finding love and enjoying relationships are big parts of everyone’s lives.

Someone with a learning disability or mental health condition may face additional challenges around relationships, but they have they have the same rights as anyone else to express their sexuality and have personal and sexual relationships if they want to.  

It’s not always an easy topic to talk about – and we all come to it with our own thoughts, feelings and beliefs.

So, as part of this PRIDE month, we want to shine a light on the subject and remind customers and the people who support them that there is plenty of information and guidance out there on how you can form relationships, and express yourself and your sexuality – all while staying safe and well.

These fact sheets from Mencap are a great resource for customers with Learning Disabilities. Relationships and Sex and Learning Disability | Mencap

The Supported Loving campaign, hosted by Choice Support, produces lots of information, research and resources on this topic: Choice Support | What is Supported Loving?

Choice also has an excellent toolkit for supporting people with support needs who are LGBTQ+. Choice Support | LGBTQ+

Mind has some great information and resources around LGBTQ+ and mental health.

LGBTQIA+ mental health - Mind

Don’t forget, you can also speak to your support worker, or a health professional if you have questions on this topic.  The more we can get comfortable talking about relationships, sex and sexuality with each other, the better the outcomes will be for people with Learning Disabilities and Mental Health conditions.