While it’s difficult to get an exact percentage, the most widely accepted statistic is that 1 in 10 people identify themselves as LGBT. This means that between your friends and family and your friendly acquaintances, the odds are strong that you already care about someone who is gay, either in or out of the closet. Gay Pride is to celebrate diversity and being proud of whom we are. It is a time to mingle with friends without fear of being attacked or turned away because of our sexuality. It is a moment of happiness and joy for our community. SMUG executive director Dr Frank Mugisha says Pride celebrations should remind Ugandans of our need to live freely and happily with our families and friends without persecution. He adds that as the theme says “We are Family” It is important that our families and friends recognize and respect our existence; everyone should know that we are here, and we are human beings with rights. “With the passing of the AHA in 2013, many LGBTI members were forced to flee the country some continue to seek asylum and those that have remained have been left in disarray, Pride Uganda 2015 is to remind us all that family is the core of our being and we are here to affirm that by celebrating our diversity together”, says Richard Lusimbo research and documentation officer at SMUG also the Coordinator Pride Uganda 2015. In the end, sexuality exists on a spectrum, and the distinctions that we make between gay and straight are often arbitrary and subject to revision. This, perhaps, is the most compelling reason everyone should join in this month’s festivities by celebrating gay pride, we celebrate a proud part of ourselves.