As our memories of summer and Pride Month fade and winter begins to creep across the northern hemisphere, many of us are looking forward to Christmas 2025, to gathering with family, friends, and chosen community. But not everyone will be celebrating.
As a leader and coach working closely with LGBTQIA+ and neurodivergent people, I see how this season can deepen isolation for those who already feel unseen. The darker nights and “cuffing season” remind us that while some are finding comfort in connection, others are still searching for belonging, or learning to be comfortable in their own company.
It’s time to look out for one another. To remember that personal development doesn’t stop when the light fades. Because change doesn’t happen quietly in the corners of comfort.
Pride Reflections: Lisbon, June 2025
Earlier this year, during Pride Month, I met a woman who had fled Pakistan to escape the dangers of being openly LGBT. She’s been in Lisbon for over a year but still feels invisible in a city that markets itself as inclusive.
When she told me I was her only friend here, it broke my heart.
She was waiting — waiting for someone to find her a girlfriend, to help her integrate, to bring her into the community. But the community doesn’t arrive pre-packaged. It’s built by those who show up.
I told her about a large queer social group in Lisbon that I visit when I can.
“But they’re all men,” she said. And she wasn’t wrong. The space is dominated by cis gay white men. But it’s also a space that needs women, trans people, non-binary folks, and people of colour to walk in and be seen — not because it’s easy, but because visibility reshapes the landscape.
I’ve always believed in building the things we wish existed.
Showing Up, Even When It’s Hard
That same day, I was heading to Europride 2025 in Lisbon — a Pride surrounded by heated critique and controversy. Many activists chose to boycott it, calling out pinkwashing and the tokenistic sidelining of marginalised voices.
I was exhausted, preparing The Box — my installation exploring the intersection of queerness and neurodivergence — and just wanted a quiet ferry ride to Almada.
Instead, I got another reminder of why this work matters.
A man struck up a conversation, and after a few minutes, began complaining about Europride being “imposed” on his community.
“I accept everybody,” he said, “but why do you have to go and shout about it?”
When I asked if he wanted to share a message of empathy for queer people, he said bluntly, “No.”
So I replied, “That’s what I’m asking for. And if you’re not going to give it, I’d like you to stop talking to me now.”
Moments like this remind me why I keep showing up. Why I keep building. Why I keep speaking.
Beyond Visibility: Towards Connection
In 2025, queer people — especially those from the Global South, especially neurodivergent, Black, or Brown — are still being told to be quieter, softer, smaller. To wait our turn.
But change doesn’t happen quietly in the corners of comfort.
Yes, Europride 2025 deserved critique. The lack of transparency, true inclusion, and community leadership is real. But those who choose to show up — bringing their voices, art, pain, and vision — aren’t validating the status quo. We’re challenging it from within, making space for what’s next.
Because if we don’t advocate for empathy, visibility, and systemic change, no one else will.
The emotional labour is constant, and it’s heavy. But I believe in what comes after visibility: connection, solidarity, and transformation.
Pride isn’t just a celebration. It’s a call to action — one we must keep answering, even when the world insists it’s no longer necessary.
As the Year Ends
As we move toward the end of 2025, my hope is that we all keep showing up — for ourselves and for one another.
For the quiet ones at the edges of community.
For those who haven’t found their people yet.
For the parts of ourselves still learning to be seen.
Because belonging isn’t seasonal.
And empathy, like change, is something we build together — one brave act at a time.
✨ If you’re looking for a speaker to share the lived experience of being queer, neurodivergent, and actively working for inclusion from the margins—I’d love to connect.
I speak on how to uplift diverse voices within LGBTQIA+ communities and neurodivergent spaces what it takes to lead change when the world doesn’t think it’s needed.
Keep Showing Up — With Empauher
At Empauher, we believe that belonging and transformation aren’t seasonal — they’re built through empathy, courage, and connection. If this reflection resonated with you, here are a few ways to take the next step:
✨ Join the Empauher Retreat: Unmasking Authentically
Rediscover your authentic self in a safe, neuroinclusive, and LGBTQIA+ affirming space designed to help you reconnect and recharge.
🤝 Book a Free Discovery Call with Ginny Evans-Pollard
Let’s talk about creating meaningful change — for yourself, your team, or your organisation.
👉 Book your first call here
🌐 Explore More at Empauher.com
Find stories, coaching insights, and upcoming events that help you show up — authentically and unapologetically.
💬 Let’s Keep the Conversation Going
Share your reflections on LinkedIn and tag @Empauher Coaching — because visibility and community start with one brave conversation.
As winter arrives, Empauher founder Ginny Evans-Pollard reflects on Pride, isolation, and the power of showing up for ourselves and our communities. Explore how empathy, visibility, and authentic connection can drive change — and discover how the Empauher Retreat helps you reconnect and unmask authentically.
#Empauher #UnmaskingAuthentically #EmpauherRetreat #NeurodivergentVoices #LGBTQIALeadership #QueerVisibility #AuthenticLeadership #Belonging #InclusionMatters #WinterReflection #PrideBeyondJune #ShowUpWithEmpauher #NeuroinclusiveSpaces #DiversityAndBelonging