One summit's stand for LGBTQIA+ Rights
LGBTQIA+ rights are under increasing threat and the call for unity, visibility, and action has never felt more urgent.
Stood at the forefront of that call is Drew Dalton (CEO of ReportOUT), Peter Darrant (Chair of Out North East), and Angela Budenell (Charity Manager of Pride Action North) – fierce advocates and changemakers who are shaping one of the UK’s most powerful platforms for solidarity and change: the #SaferToBeMe Summit.
In this interview, Angela shares the story behind the summit’s founding, the personal experiences that shaped its mission, and the growing need for bold action in the face of rising global hostility.
What inspired you to collaborate on this year’s Summit?
What truly inspired me was hearing Drew Dalton, ReportOut’s CEO, speak so passionately about the importance of solidarity and taking action. Over time, I’ve come to deeply admire the incredible work ReportOut does around the world, advocating for LGBTQIA+ people in places where it’s dangerous to be yourself.
This year’s theme is ‘Local to Global’ – why did you choose it, and what impact do you hope it has?
The core mission of #SaferToBeMe is to create safer, more inclusive communities where LGBTQIA+ people-and all marginalised groups-can live openly, freely, and with respect.
We want to inspire real change by bringing people together to learn, share, and act in ways that improve lives both locally and globally. This year’s theme, ‘Local to Global’, highlights that while challenges may look different around the world, we are all connected in this fight for equality.
What does success look like for #SaferToBeMe in the next five years?
We don’t truly know what #SaferToBeMe will look like in five years-and honestly, wouldn’t it be wonderful if we didn’t need it at all?
I hope that by then, the world will have changed. That the tide we’re currently fighting will have turned. I want to pass on hope-because we have to believe in something better. I want to see a rapid decline in the hostility we’ve seen in recent years. I want to live in a UK where there are no more protests outside hotels housing refugees, where trans people have access to compassionate and inclusive healthcare, and where laws protect us all, equally and fairly.
How do you see the summit contributing to global conversations about LGBT+ equality?
We see #SaferToBeMe as a contribution to a much bigger, global conversation. What’s happening in the UK is not uniquethere’s a coordinated rollback of rights across the world. This summit is both a response and a rallying cry. It’s a way of saying: we see what’s happening, and we will not be silent.
By connecting our local experiences to global struggles, we hope to show solidarity across borders, challenge oppression in all its forms, and keep pushing the conversation toward justice, equity, and change.
If you could send one message to the next generation of LGBT+ activists, what would it be?
If I could leave just one message, it would be this: don’t allow another genocide. Whatever it takes, we must never let history repeat itself.
In amplifying diverse voices, fostering global solidarity, and refusing to let history repeat itself, Angela and her collaborators are building more than a summit – they’re building a movement rooted in hope, compassion, and defiance.
The road ahead may be uncertain, but one thing is clear: the fight for equality must be louder, broader, and more united than ever.
If we stand together-local to global-then perhaps the future really can be safer. Not just for some, but for all.