Celebrating Polar Pride 2023
This November British Antarctic Survey joins with the polar community to celebrate the contribution of LGBTQIA+ people in polar research and operations to mark Polar Pride Day and LGBTQIA STEM Day (Saturday 18 November).
The first Polar Pride Day took place in 2020 by the Government of the British Antarctic Territory and South Georgia & the South Sandwich Islands (SGSSI).
BAS staff from across the world, including on Antarctic stations, the RRS Sir David Attenborough and headquarters in Cambridge, will come together to mark this important event.
Celebrating Polar Pride in the UK
The Pride flag was raised outside BAS headquarters in Cambridge this week.
Colleagues gathered in Cambridge for a special Pride ‘Smoko’ or coffee break on Thursday 16 November, with personal reflections on why Pride matters and how we can all help increase equity.
A special Polar Pride event will take place in Parliament on Monday 20 November. The event by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Polar Regions and the Government of the British Antarctic Territory, will celebrate the Pride initiative, with colleagues from BAS sharing their own experiences.
Celebrations Polar Pride in the Polar Regions
At the UK’s largest Antarctic hub at Rothera Research Station, the Pride Flag was paraded around the station in the lead up to Polar Pride, along with also being displaying at Fossil Bluff Field Station. The Pride Flag will be raised on station during the day.
Rothera will host a Polar Pride ‘colour-mix’ party on Saturday 18 November, with staff swapping layers of clothing throughout the evening to create bright outfits.
Over at South Georgia, staff gathered together at Bird Island Research Station to fly the Pride flag.
Find out more about the BAS Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Network and the Diversity in Polar Science Initiative (DiPSI).