At our Last Friday of the Month session on 27 June 2025, we closed the month-long LGBTQIA+ pride celebration with learning, self-reflection, and art!

Last year, on International LGBT Pride Day, we had learned about the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in the United States which marked a watershed movement for LGBT rights not only in the country but across the world in the following decades, how Pride came to be in Cambodia, and what the various Pride flags mean for people of diverse gender identities and sexual orientations.

This year, we focused our conversations and learning on allyship and how both as an organization and individuals we can be allies to the LGBTQIA+ community in Cambodia and beyond. We tested our knowledge about LGBTQIA+ historical facts, and we debunked myths and misconceptions with an interactive quiz. We took some time to reflect on why LGBTQIA+ inclusion matters in our workplace, and what being a genuine ally to marginalized communities means.

At our Last Friday of the Month session on 27 June 2025, we closed the month-long LGBTQIA+ pride celebration with learning, self-reflection, and art! Last year, on International LGBT Pride Day, we had learned about the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in the United States which marked a watershed movement for LGBT rights not only in the country but across the world in the following decades, how Pride came to be in Cambodia, and what the various Pride flags mean for people of diverse gender identities and sexual or

Closing Pride Month with heart and creativity! This is one of the collaborative arts by Oxfam colleagues illustrating a message of unity, pride and inclusivity. 

What Being an Ally means to me 

Text by Soknea Oun

On May 24, 2025, at Koh Norea, Pride Cambodia Organization organized a vibrant, day-long celebration for Pride Month, honoring the LGBTIQ+ community and their right to live freely and joyfully. The event brought together multiple organizations united in their mission to celebrate Pride Month.

The day kicked off with the 5K Rainbow Fun Run, where hundreds of participants—myself included—laced up their colorful sneakers and ran (or happily jogged or walked) alongside friends, colleagues, and strangers-turned-allies. Laughter echoed through the streets as people of all gender identities cheered each other on, their rainbow flags fluttering in the wind. For many, this wasn’t just a run; it was a movement—one that said, “You belong here.”

Kicking off with a rainbow-colored 5K at daybreak, the non-stop celebration rolled through a Romork Race, Pride Walk, high-energy Reajiny concert, and finally exploded into a night of concert and fierce Fashion Show looks and heart-pounding DJ beats!

For me, joining this event was more than just fun—it was a personal commitment to solidarity. Being there meant showing my LGBTIQ+ friends and strangers alike that they are seen, celebrated, and supported—not just within their community, but by the wider public too. Discrimination thrives in silence, but Pride drowns it out with music, laughter, and the simple act of showing up.

At its core, Pride is about human rights. It’s a reminder that equality isn’t a privilege - it’s a right. And as I looked around at the smiling faces, the dancing, the shared joy, I felt hopeful. Change doesn’t always come in grand gestures; sometimes, it’s in the small acts—running together, cheering louder, standing firmer—to say: “You deserve to be proud. Today and every day.”

Happy Pride Month—may the colors of love and acceptance keep shining, long after the rainbow flags are put away.