We need Pride now more than ever. How do we make sure everyone feels welcomed?

In the wake of the shooting at Pulse and the recent wave of bathroom laws and bills that discriminate against transgender people, the LGBTQ community needs Pride now more than ever. Unfortunately, the dating app Her found some disappointing statistics about how LGBTQ women feel about Pride festivities.

Of the 3003 LGBTQ American women who responded to Her’s survey on June 9th, over a third said they didn’t feel welcomed and/or well-represented at Pride. The number of respondents who felt welcomed and/or well-represented was even lower for queer and bisexual women, at 47% and 57% respectively.

While 74% of respondents said there were local Pride events organized where they lived, and 89% said Pride events were important and beneficial for the community, less than half had plans to go to any kind of Pride festivities. So why aren’t LGBTQ women attending?

The main reason for skipping Pride festivities was, "I had no one to accompany me" (33%), followed by, "None of the events were of interest to me" (24%). Only 11% of respondents answered that they weren't attending because the town they lived in didn’t have any Pride festivities planned.

"These numbers highlight that there are a lot of queer and bisexual women who don’t feel welcomed or heard by our community and, in consequence, don’t go to Pride events, " said Robyn Exton, founder and CEO of Her. "We all must be aware of this problem so we can improve together. Our number one goal as a community should be that all letters of the LGBTQIA rainbow of all genders feel included. This is what Pride is all about: being seen, heard and welcomed."

Did you attend Pride this year? Do you feel well-represented and/or welcomed at Pride festivities? What would improve your experience? Let us know in the comments below.