Deaf Harrogate entrepreneur 'humbled' after winning LGBTQ+ Hero Award at 2023 Attitude Pride Awards

Attitude hosted its annual Pride Awards in association with Magnum last Thursday at the Langham Hotel in London.

A total of 11 awards were handed out to a mix of icons and everyday incredible people from the LGBTQ+ community as it returned for its seventh year.

Amongst the heroic winners was Harrogate-based Luke Christian, a deaf, gay entrepreneur, and former Comic Relief designer in 2022, who received the 2023 LGBTQ+ Community Hero award from a member of legendary pop band Steps.

The Harrogate man was given the prestigious award in appreciation of his ground-breaking work and excellent service to the community since founding Deaf Identity in 2019– and providing motivation for countless others.

"Standing side by side with other community heroes and trailblazers was an absolute honour, said Mr Christian.

"I am incredibly honoured and humbled to receive the Attitude Pride Community Hero Award at the 2023 Attitude Pride Awards.

“Growing up, people joked and said: ‘My grandad wears hearing aids. Or: ‘I thought deaf people were OAPs?’"

“You don’t sound deaf.”, “Turn your hearing aids up!”, “I can’t be bothered to repeat myself again.” are some of the things people have said to me.

"I feel passionate in trying to get rid of that stigma, to show deafness affects people of all ages.

"As I've got older, I’ve realised it’s not about fitting in, it’s about paving my own path, embracing who I am, showing other deaf people there's no right or wrong way of being deaf.”

“I dedicate this honour to everyone who has ever felt silenced or marginalised, and I intend to keep changing lives for the better.

"This honour serves as both a monument to my work and the fortitude of the deaf and LGBTQ+ communities.

“I will forever be grateful to everybody at Attitude Magazine for this award and to Magnum for supporting the event, and to the deaf community for their ongoing support.”