As we are deep into Pride Month and ahead of London Pride next month, we asked some famous faces from the city’s LGBTQ+ scene to tell us of their experience of living their lives as authentically as possible
In this special edition of Be You, we sit down with broadcaster, advocate, and unapologetic voice for inclusion, Paris Munro @parismunro
Can you name a moment when you first felt like you were living as your true self?
After having top surgery and being topless for the first time, it was the second I got to feel the sun on my chest!
Have there been times when you couldn’t be who you wished to be?
For 30 odd years, I was so terrified to show the world who I really was and came out late in my early 30s. On so many occasions I was always the ‘best friend’ instead of the partner, and having to hide to my friends and family that also deep down, I was always trans and knew something was different at the age of 4.
Does London still feel like a place where anybody can be who they choose?
I remember my very first London Pride, and that was after I came out as Trans. It was a really special day for me. I started to gain the courage to step into my true self in so many ways, as someone who has anxiety, autism and adhd, sometimes making friends is hard and internally I felt sick to my stomach, but this was the start of me really coming out of my shell.
What advice would you give to people struggling to live as their authentic selves?
Be you, only if you feel ready to or feel safe to. The family will take a while to adjust, and sometimes can take years. Make your own kind of family (chosen family) with other like minded LGBTQ+ people just like you. You are not alone, really!
What does Pride feel like to you?
This is a really hard one for me. In a world where people who are under the Trans & or Nonbinary umbrella have no rights whatsoever. We have to keep fighting the good fight, make our voices louder than ever before, stand up for our community as a whole more than ever before, and for those who do not have the right to be LGBTQ+ in other countries let alone healthcare, or the right to use the toilet that aligns with them.
