I t’s that time of year when the Virgin Atlantic AttitudeAwards 2022 powered by Jaguar returns to sprinkle some much-needed stardust on a world that seems to delight in existing only in shades of grey. Although the UK’s default setting over the past few years has been very much switched to ‘crisis mode’, many of us have been determined not to let the questionable decisions made by politicians define us. Instead, we move forward, living as our most authentic selves. It’s this spirit of defiance that has been the backbone of LGBTQ+ resilience since we were first pushed to the fringes of society. Whether that meant gay men meeting in illegal underground bars in 19 th - century England or a young trans kid determined to live true to their identity in a rural British village today, us queer people have forever sought ways to celebrate our uniqueness even when the world screams that we should simply conform — and be quiet about it.