Celebrating Pride
At the College, we celebrate Pride Month to commemorate and celebrate LGBTQ+ voices, activism and to show our support of LGBTQ+ rights.
Pride Month is about teaching tolerance, education in pride history and continuing to move equality forwards, something that we at the College continue to strive to do.
Pride 2025
The Rainbow Special Interest Group held an in-person event on 13 June at the College’s London headquarters, called ‘Marginalisation to Inclusion: developing guidance for clinicians on working with LGBTIQ+ patients’.
Professor Helen Killaspy, gave the keynote speech titled ‘The mental health of people from sexual and gender minorities’, and made this special video:
Blog post: Reflections of an outgoing chair - building belongings, amplifying voices in challenging times
Dr Pavan Joshi leaves his post as chair of the Rainbow Special Interest Group next month. Read his passionate and powerful blog post written for Pride 2025, reflecting on his time in the role.
Podcast: From Euphoria to Emergency: The Chemsex Crisis, with Dr Bradley Hillier
In this special Pride episode of the RCPsych Podcast, we sit down with Dr Bradley Hillier, Consultant Psychiatrist and Medical Director of HumanMind Health. With over two decades of experience in trauma, addiction, and LGBTQ+ mental health, Dr Hillier brings both clinical expertise and personal insight to a conversation that is as urgent as it is overdue.
Together, we explore the chemsex crisis, a complex and often hidden issue affecting many in the LGBTQ+ community. From the initial allure of disinhibition and connection to the devastating consequences of overdose, psychosis, and suicide, this episode goes beyond the headlines to examine the deeper forces at play: trauma, shame, minority stress, and the systemic gaps in care.
Other activities to celebrate Pride
As well as the Rainbow SIG Conference, we will be:
- celebrating Pride at RCPsych International Congress
- publishing guest blog posts, including from our departing Rainbow SIG Chair, Dr Pavan Joshi who will share his reflections.
Please look out for these, share among your networks, and join in our Pride celebrations!
Previous Pride events
Our focus for Pride 2024 was the importance of inclusive leadership and celebrating role models.
We reflected on individual journeys, progress and hope for the future, and reminded people of the College's LGBTQ+ commitments that are aimed at making workplaces more LGBTQ+ friendly. We also held a special Pride webinar for College staff.
In the video below, RCPsych member Helen Killaspy spoke about the importance of role models.
You can also read former President Professor Dinesh Bhugra's reflection on the painting of his presidential portrait. This was part of a project to better understand our portraits by speaking to the sitters and the artists.
PrideCast: In conversation with Dr Chris Walsh
In this podcast to celebrate Pride 2023 we spoke to Dr Chris Walsh, Chair of the College's Psychiatric Trainees Committee (now the Psychiatric Resident Doctors' Committee) to discuss his journey from Liverpool to Psychiatry, his creative background, and his advice to LGBTQ+ folks looking to choose psychiatry as a career.
