Esther Ghey, the mother of Brianna Ghey, delivered a powerful and emotional speech on the Manchester Village Pride stage, telling crowds to 'remember her and to keep saying her name'.
Esther was one of the Inspirational Speakers to take to the stage during this year's event, with the aim of uniting the community with the reasons behind the Pride celebration. Russell T Davies, Ali & Adam, footballer Joshua Cavallo, and Hollyoaks actress Annie Wallace will also deliver speeches over the weekend.
Emotional tribute to Brianna
An emotional Esther, from Warrington, appeared on the stage on Saturday afternoon (August 29) to talk about her daughter's legacy and the work she has done since her tragic death three years ago, including setting up a foundation in her name. 16-year-old Brianna was murdered in a premeditated attack at Warrington's Culcheth Linear Park on February 11, 2023.
"When Brianna told me that she was transgender, it did not change the love that I had for her," Esther told crowds on the Main Stage. "She did not become a different child, she was showing me more of the person who she already was and I was grateful for this."
"As a parent or carer, you don’t always understand everything your child is experiencing but my lack of knowledge and understanding was never more important than for her to be loved. Every child deserves unconditional love."
A call for belonging
Esther also remarked how whilst Brianna was loved for who she was at home, she - and others like her - needed to feel belonged. She said: "Our children cannot flourish on the love of one person alone. They need schools where they feel safe, communities where they are welcomed, and adults who listen."
"They need spaces where they are not constantly judged, trolled or told that who they are has become a subject for public debate. After Brianna died, I could not stop thinking about the world that she was growing up in. I thought about the pressures she faced and the isolation she felt."
To huge cheers of the crowds chanting Brianna's name, Esther was clearly emotional on stage as she was consoled by host and singer Soraya Vivian. Esther added: "As you’ve all just proved, Brianna is loved not only by me now but by so many others, family, friends and strangers, and I feel that love here today. Thank you."
Soraya, who asked the crowd to show their love for Brianna by putting a heart-shaped hand sign in the area, added of Esther: "That's one courageous lady, One beautiful lady, one beautiful soul and one beautiful mother."
Speech in full
Esther Ghey's speech in full: "Thank you for having me here today. This is my daughter Brianna Ghey. On the left, you can see a beautiful smiley face as a tiny baby and on the right is Brianna as a teenager. When you first hold your child, you do not know who they are going to become, you do not know what their personality will be, what will make them laugh, what they will struggle with, who they will love, or what path they will take in life. All you know is they are yours, they are precious and you love them."
"There’s a whole life between these two photographs. One, a little one who is funny, clever and full of character. A child who loves being creative and making people laugh. And then a teenager - the same yet so full of humour and mischief, trying to work who she was in a world that is incredibly difficult to navigate. Through every stage, she was still my baby. She was constantly changing like we all do."
"When Brianna told me that she was transgender, it did not change the love that I had for her. She did not become a different child, she was showing me more of the person who she already was and I was grateful for this."
"As a parent or carer, you don’t always understand everything your child is experiencing but my lack of knowledge and understanding was never more important than for her to be loved. Every child deserves unconditional love."
"To me, unconditional love is being willing to put aside the person you imagined your child might become. Understanding that your child's life belongs to them not you. It is letting them know that they do not have to earn a place in the family."
"Brianna needed that love at home but she also needed to feel like she belonged in the world. Our children cannot flourish on the love of one person alone. They need schools where they feel safe, communities where they are welcomed, and adults who listen."
"They need spaces where they are not constantly judged, trolled or told that who they are has become a subject for public debate. After Brianna died, I could not stop thinking about the world that she was growing up in. I thought about the pressures she faced and the isolation she felt."
"I also thought about what might help other families, which is why I founded the Brianna Ghey Legacy Project in Brianna’s memory. This non-profit was born out of my love for Brianna but it also comes from everything I wish I'd understood earlier in life and everything I wish had been different."
"Through Brianna’s legacy, we work to improve the mental health and well-being of children and families. We want young people to feel safe and supported, we want families to feel more connected, more confident and able to talk openly. We want to help create a world where children are given the understanding, protection and the unconditional love they need to flourish."
"Standing here today I see what becomes possible when people are given the freedom to live openly, to find their community and be celebrated for who they are."
"Pride is a beautiful celebration, but beneath that celebration is also a promise, a promise that nobody should have to hide who they are in order to be safe. Brianna should have had that future, I cannot give it back to her but I can ask all of us to create that future for our children today. To listen to them, to protect them and, above all, to love them and to help them flourish in whoever they become."
"In the days after Brianna died, people gathered at vigils across the country. They lit candles, held one another and chanted her name. Hearing her name spoken by so many people meant more to me than I could ever put into words."
"So please remember her, and keep saying her name. Remember her not only for how her life ended, but for the funny, mischievous and beautiful young woman that she was and the future that she should have had. And for anyone here today who should have felt alone, please remember you are enough, you are beautiful and you are worthy of love."
"As you’ve all just proved, Brianna is loved not only by me now but by so many others, family, friends and strangers, and I feel that love here today. Thank you."
