THEGAYUK

Tag: Pride

The latest news from LGBT/ gay prides around the UK.

  • PRIDE 2021: This is when every pride in the UK is taking place in 2021

    PRIDE 2021: This is when every pride in the UK is taking place in 2021

    After a year of cancelled events in 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some of the UK’s prides have announced that they are coming back for 2021. Good news for the Pride 2021 season though, Some prides have already had to cancel and some have had to change their dates to fit in with the government guidelines.

    So here’s the current list of UK prides and when they’re expected to take place, brought to you in connection with The Pride Shop.

    Some of the pride events have yet to confirm their 2020 dates, when they have we’ll update them on this page!

    Pride 2021 event calendar for the UK

    Some Pride Dates 2021 are still To Be Confirmed.

    Pride 2021 Scotland

    Aberdeen Pride / Grampian Pride | Online only for 2021 | Facebook

    Edinburgh Pride | Online only for 2021 | Facebook

    Dundee Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Glasgow Pride| Date TBC | Facebook

    Highland Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Oban Pride |Date TBC | Facebook

    Perthshire Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Pride 2021 England

    Pride 2021 event calendar for the UK

    Banbury Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Barnsley Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Basildon Pride | 4th September 2021 | Facebook

    Birmingham Pride | 25th – 26th September 2021 | Facebook

    Blackpool Pride | 5th June 2021 | Facebook

    Bolton Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Bournemouth / Bourne Free | 9th and 10th July 2021|Facebook

    Bradford Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Brighton Pride | 7th August 2021 | Facebook

    Bristol Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Calderdale Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Cambridge Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Canterbury Pride (Pride Canterbury) | Date TBC | Facebook

    Chase Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Chester Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Chesterfield Pride | 18th July 2021 | Facebook

    Colchester Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Congleton Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Cornwall Pride | 28th August 2021 | Facebook

    Cornwall Bus Tour | TBC | Facebook

    Coventry Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Crewe Pride (Pride In The Park)| Date TBC | Facebook

    Croydon Pride | 17th July 2021 | Facebook

    Deptford Pride | Date to TBC | Facebook

    Derby Pride | 4th September 2021 | Facebook

    Doncaster Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Dorchester Pride | Date to TBC | Facebook

    Durham Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Eastbourne Pride | 17th July 2021 | Facebook

    Eastleigh Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Essex Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Folkestone Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Forest Gate / East London Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Exeter Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Exmouth Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Gloucestershire Pride (Pride In Gloucestershire) | 11th September 2021 | Facebook

    Gravesham Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Great Yarmouth and Waveney Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Hampshire Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Happy Valley Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Harrogate Pride (Pride In Diversity) | Date TBC | Facebook

    Hastings Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Hert Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Hull Pride (Pride In Hull) |Date TBC | Facebook

    Keighley Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Pride | 21st August 2021 | Facebook

    Lancaster Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Leeds Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Leicester Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Pride In London | 11th September 2021 | Facebook

    Lincoln Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Liverpool Pride | Cancelled | Facebook

    Malvern Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Manchester Pride | 27th – 30th August 2021 | Facebook

    Margate Pride | 14th August 2021 | Facebook

    Milton Keynes Pride | 11th September 2021 | Facebook

    Morecambe Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Nantwich Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Newcastle Pride (Northern Pride) | Pride Online | Facebook

    Northumberland Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Nottingham Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Norwich Pride | 11th September 2021 | Facebook

    Oldham Pride | 19-25th July 2021 | Facebook

    Oxford Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Plymouth Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Portsmouth Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Preston Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Reading Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Rochdale Pride (Rochdale In Rainbows) | Date TBC | Facebook

    Rotherham Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Romford Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Salford Pride (The Pink Picnic)| Date TBC | Facebook

    Salisbury Pride | 21st May 2021 | Facebook

    Sheffield Pride |Date TBC | Facebook

    Silloth Pride | Cancelled | Facebook

    Southampton Pride | 28th August 2021| Facebook

    Stockport Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Stoke On Trent Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Suffolk Pride |Date TBC | Facebook

    Sunderland Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Surrey Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Swindon and Wiltshire Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Tameside Pride | 17th July 2021 | Facebook

    Totnes Pride (Proud2Be) |17th July 2021 | Facebook

    Tunbridge Wells Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Wakefield Pride | 8th August 2021 | Facebook

    Walsall Pride | 28th August 2021 | Facebook

    Waltham Forest Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Warwickshire Pride | 21st August 2021 | Facebook

    Weston-Super-Mare | Postponed | Facebook

    Weymouth and Portland Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Wigan Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Worcestershire Pride | 18th September 2021 | Facebook

    Worksop Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Worthing Pride | 10th July 2021 | Facebook

    Yeovil Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    York Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Pride 2021 Wales

    Barry Pride | 21st September 2021 | Facebook

    Cardiff Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Llanelli Pride | 17th July 2021 | Facebook

    Swansea Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Pride 2021 Northern Ireland Prides

    Belfast Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Derry Pride / Foyle Pride | Date TBC| Facebook

    Limerick Pride | 10th July 2021 | Facebook

    Newry Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Pride 2021 UK Island Prides

    Isle of Wight Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Channel Island Pride | 11th September 2021 | Facebook

    Isle of Man Pride | TBC | Facebook


    Specialised Prides in 2021

    Student Pride | 18-25th April 2021 (online only) | Facebook

    UK Black Pride | TBC | Facebook

    Trans Pride Leeds | TBC | Facebook

    Bi Pride |19th June (Online Only) | Facebook

    Brighton Trans Pride | 17th July 2021 | Facebook

    Northern Ireland Trans Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

  • The BBC’s Director General seeks to calm fears over staff Pride ban

    The BBC’s Director General seeks to calm fears over staff Pride ban

    The BBC’s Director General, Tim Davie stated that staff members, particularly news and current affairs staff that they should be “mindful” if they are attending events that could be “deemed political or controversial”.

    Davie then made it clear that there was no ban on attending Pride events and said that attending a parade was possible while staying inside the guidelines, but “due care needs to be given to the guidance and staff need to ensure that they are not seen to be taking a stand on politicised or contested issues”.

    What is all the controversy about?

    i news reported that impartiality policies drawn up by the broadcaster included a section where certain staff members who work for news and current affairs and factual journalism could face disciplinary action if they attended events or rallies if those events are deemed too political.

    This is because the BBC expects its staff to remain politically neutral, any breach of that guideline could see staffers face disciplinary action.

    According to the i the broadcaster’s, director of editorial policy and standards, David Jordan, told senior executives on Wednesday that the new policy includes not attending “political protests”, such as Black Lives Matter events and LGBT protests.

    The paper states that according to sources who work for the BBC, this was to ensure that BBC staffers attending Pride events would not get embroiled in the “the debate around transgender rights”, according to the i.

    The paper’s reporter Benjamin Butterworth broke the story on Twitter.

    According to the BBC’s guidelines on impartiality, the issue is a little more nuanced than at first glance of the i’s story. The guidelines state,

    “People working in news and current affairs and factual journalism (across all Divisions), as set out in the Guidelines, should not participate in public demonstrations or gatherings about controversial issues.

    “As with social media activity, judgement is required as to what issues are “controversial” with regard to marches or demonstrations, though it should be assumed that most marches are contentious to some degree or other. If in doubt, advice should be sought before attending”.

    Missing the point

    QC Jo Maugham Director of the Good Law Project, who have stated that they think the BBC’s position is “unlawful” said, “I am afraid that this, from Tim Davie, completely misses the point. When he says there are issues for some staff he is saying, in effect, that it breaches impartiality rules to oppose racism, homophobia or transphobia. And we think that’s just wrong.”

    https://twitter.com/JolyonMaugham/status/1322151703924346881

    Lord Michael Cashman reacted to the DG’s statement by saying that it “has many holes in it”, adding, “It could be argued Pride, Black Lives Matter, against bloodsports are ‘political’. Legally challengeable, in my opinion. We will be watching this and the new ‘tenants’ at the BBC very carefully.”

    Read the entire email to staff from Tim Davie here:

    Impartiality guidance: Pride

    Dear all,

    Thank you for your support in rolling out the editorial guidance on impartiality yesterday. This new guidance, and the rules around social media activity, are significant steps in renewing our commitment to impartiality and securing the trust our audience have in us.

    There is one specific issue where I want to make sure that there is no room for misinterpretation, following inaccurate commentary and some feedback from staff – which is the ability to participate in Pride parades. There is no ban on attending Pride parades.

    The guidance that we published yesterday made it very clear that staff outside of news and current affairs and factual journalism may attend marches, demonstrations and protests as private individuals. I have copied below the relevant extract of the guidance for reference.

    There are different considerations for staff who work in news and current affairs and factual journalism (and senior leaders) but I want to be clear that there is no issue for these staff attending community events that are clearly celebratory or commemorative and do not compromise perceptions of their impartiality.

    If news and current affairs staff are participating in such events they must be mindful of ensuring that they do not get involved in matters which could be deemed political or controversial. There is no ban on these staff attending Pride events. Attending Pride parades is possible within the guidelines, but due care needs to be given to the guidance and staff need to ensure that they are not seen to be taking a stand on politicised or contested issues.

    Protecting the BBC’s impartiality is core to everything we do. We must ensure that we avoid doing anything that endangers audience perceptions of the BBC’s impartiality and to protect the ability of staff in news and current affairs to report fairly and impartially.

    Do drop me a line if you have any questions about this, or speak to your manager.

    Best wishes,

    Tim

    Tim Davie
    Director-General

  • BBC causes outrage after reports that staff are “banned” from attending Pride events under new guidelines

    BBC causes outrage after reports that staff are “banned” from attending Pride events under new guidelines

    The BBC has faced a huge backlash online after it was reported that some staff who attend events such as Pride, could face disciplinary action, including being suspended.

    i news reported that impartiality policies drawn up by the broadcaster included a section where certain staff members who work for news and current affairs and factual journalism are effectively banned from attending events such as Pride or Black Lives Matter rallies if those events are deemed too political.

    This is because the BBC expects its staff to remain politically neutral, any breach of that guideline could see staffers face disciplinary action.

    According to the i the broadcaster’s, director of editorial policy and standards, David Jordan, told senior executives on Wednesday that the new policy includes not attending “political protests”, such as Black Lives Matter events and LGBT protests.

    The paper states that according to sources who work for the BBC, this was to ensure that BBC staffers attending Pride events would not get embroiled in the “the debate around transgender rights”, according to the i.

    The paper’s reporter Benjamin Butterworth broke the story on Twitter.

    According to the BBC’s guidelines on impartiality, the issue is a little more nuanced than at first glance of the i’s story. The guidelines state,

    “People working in news and current affairs and factual journalism (across all Divisions), as set out in the Guidelines, should not participate in public demonstrations or gatherings about controversial issues.

    “As with social media activity, judgement is required as to what issues are “controversial” with regard to marches or demonstrations, though it should be assumed that most marches are contentious to some degree or other. If in doubt, advice should be sought before attending”.

    Social media reacts

    As of this morning (30th October), there have been over 117,000 tweets which include “The BBC” and “Pride is also trending on the platform.

    Social media exploded in criticism of the policy, with many people vowing to cancel their TV licenses or write to the corporation to make a complaint.

    Matthew Hodson, the Exec. Director of AIDS Map wrote,

    “‘I’m always banging on that the LGBTQ+ rights we now enjoy, the rights we fought for, can be taken away. This is what that process looks.”

    Lord Michael Cashman, former EastEnders star said that he would pursue the ban with “vigour and utter determination” if the BBC hadn’t issued “a full, frank and specific rebuttal” of the reports.

    https://twitter.com/mcashmanCBE/status/1321926176420626432

    Whistleblower, Chris Whiley wrote, “What is wrong with the BBC? My identity is not a partisan affiliation. My identity is not up for debate. Being LGBTQ is a protected status under the Equality Act 2010, which our public broadcaster must uphold. This is beyond absurd.

    Actor David Paisley who currently stars in a BBC programme hit out at the policy saying,

    “The BBC’s new social media guidance says that the “use of emojis can – accidentally, or deliberately – undercut an otherwise impartial post”

    THEGAYUK reached out to the BBC press office for comment.

    *This story has been updated to add a quote from the BBC’s guidelines on impartiality.

  • 5 reasons we still need pride

    5 reasons we still need pride

    I’ve written a few times now about Pride, the Gay Community and what being LGBTQ+ in the modern world means. Since lockdown, and with most Prides around the world being either cancelled or postponed, this seems like an opportune moment to go back to basics.

    From resetting the environment, through to resetting our lives. Lockdown has presented a unique opportunity to reflect and maybe find a better way.

    A lack of ‘Pride’ events in the UK reminds us of why they are still important. Yes, they are a celebration, yes, they are a protest, yes, they are ‘messy’, and yes, they are connecting. Pride can be all of those things and whatever else you want it to be if you keep these 5 things in mind.

    Knowledge is power

    monochrome photo of resist signage
    Photo by Sides Imagery on Pexels.com

    At Pride events up and down the country I am always learning new things about what is going on with our LGBTQ+ family across the globe and closer to home. Issues with suitable care for LGBTQ+ needs in care homes, issues with gender recognition and support, mental health and support for coming out related challenges – all sorts. We could all just live in our very nice little UK bubble, or we could expand our horizons. Explore worlds outside our own and see the world through other’s eyes. Hear about their world, their lived experiences and maybe do what we can to make it a little easier for them as it has been ‘easier’ for many of us.

    People say, “why do we need ‘specialist’ services for LGBT people”, and to them I say I pray you never need to use them. While the challenges our community faces are similar to others, they can often be specifically unique and complex. And if you have ever been in that sort of situation, even remotely or seen it ‘third party’, you would understand immediately why you can’t have a generalist supporting that person, it has to be someone that gets the pain, gets the anguish, and can provide the right support to the right person.

    Reflection is learning

    man wearing black crew neck shirt reading book
    Photo by Oladimeji Ajegbile on Pexels.com

    Like it or not you, LGBTQ+ person reading this, enjoy your life today thanks to the work and sacrifice of others. From basic civil rights to allow you to not go to jail for just being you through to fighting stigma and educating the wider public. You can ignore it, you can play it down, you can revel in the ‘safe’ UK and that is your right to do so. But maybe, just maybe, take the opportunity both during pride and outside of it, to go and speak to some of those people that fought for your nice life.

    At my own local pride, Essex, their online pride gave a brilliant segment on LGBT history in Chelmsford and Essex. From the first ‘celebrity’ local gay man through the history of the bars and local charities. I learnt more from that reflective video that I ever would have had access to via word of mouth.

    Pride is an opportunity to reflect. Give thanks and enjoy all the things that those that came before us could not. They fought for your right to be free, to challenge and to party (or not). Either way it is your choice and that’s a choice you enjoy because of them. So, remembering them through Pride, is the very least we can do.  

    To challenge is to evolve

    At Pride events up and down the country, and indeed some in other countries, if you open yourself up to it you can expand your mind. Challenge your preconceptions of the world. And learn so much more about the human experience.

    Personally, I’ve learnt so much about gender, mental health, sexual identity, sexual expression, community, history and the world through the LGBTQ+ community. Every single pride has a community element to it – some more than others. Have you explored these sides of it? The art festival at Brighton, the community networking events at Manchester, the local charity support stands at Essex (to name but a few).

    If you want to see new ideas, examples of the challenges we face, and some amazing examples of community and the real face of humanity, go and see some these events, charities and organisations.

    Participation is community

    white and multicolored love is love banner
    Photo by 42 North on Pexels.com

    Pride brings people together. LGBTQ+ or not, it brings everyone out and raises awareness. We are here, we have a rich and diverse culture, and we are most certainly not going anywhere.

    When the Pulse nightclub in Orlando was attacked, I was there at the vigil in Soho. I had not seen the community mobilise so quickly before and had never seen so many people out to remember those we lost outside of pride. That, plus the vigil at Manchester Pride and various other events have been golden examples of how we are very much a community. And like a community it has its problems, it isn’t perfect and there are aspects of it to love and hate. But the fact remains, it is a community. We all have the same things in common and there is more of what unites us, than divides us.

    It could be worse

    It sounds like one of those hollow statements, but it really is true. Legal rights don’t just appear, they are granted through hard work and determine and as quickly as they can be granted, they can be taken away. We are lucky in the UK because of things like democracy, a free press and an independent judiciary. But not everywhere enjoys that.

    While I’m not suggesting the UK is heading towards being the next China, even some of the basic fundamentals that mean nothing to you may mean the world to someone who is being denied them. Someone who, every single moment of every single day, is being reminded that they are not a human in the eyes of the law/their employer/the police etc.

    If you can’t picture what that feels like, good. I hope you never have to. But that doesn’t take away from the need to ensure that until we live in that perfect world that we all want, we do what we can to remember, respond and remind everyone that we are here, we are human beings and we will not go back to the days of criminalisation and marginalisation.

    I’m not saying you need to be a card carrying, flag waving front and centre member of the community. Instead, make pride what you want of it. A moment of personal reflection and appreciation all the way through to a front and centre card carrying, flag waving member of the community.

    It is what you make of it, just be glad that it can be what you make of it.

  • When is Pride Month in the UK in 2021?

    When is Pride Month in the UK in 2021?

    As 2021 looks to be a more successful year for Pride across the UK, this is when it’s officially Pride Month in the UK.

    When is Pride Month in the UK?

    After Pride season was all but wiped out in 2020 due to Coronavirus, here’s hoping 2021 will be a little more successful for local prides around the UK.

    Many prides decided to postpone their events until 2021, so many will have the same theme or indeed entertainment acts and speakers that were planned for their 2020 festivals.

    Officially Pride Month is in June in 2021 to coincide with the anniversary of the Stonewall Riots.

    Where did Pride Month originate?

    Pride Month stemmed from the US, which has been adopted more widely across the world, but in reality, there are many Pride months across the globe. For instance, Sydney Mardi Gras, Australia’s biggest pride takes place in February (although they do have a Pride festival in June) and here in the UK, there isn’t such thing as one month for Pride.

    In the US most prides happen in the month of June to coincide with the anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall Riots, in the UK however things are a little more spread out with more and more county, city and town prides becoming available.

    There are over 150 pride events in the UK alone and they start in Feb with the last (outside Winter Pride) in September. So Pride month in the UK is better described as Pride Half Year!

    In 2019 the town of Llanelli in South Wales celebrated it’s first pride.

    Want to know more about prides, see our entire collection of Pride articles here. Want to shop for Pride Merchandise, visit our partner retailer, THE PRIDE SHOP.

  • Boris Johnson thanks the LGBT community for “inspirational work”

    Boris Johnson thanks the LGBT community for “inspirational work”

    On the 1st June, the start of Pride Month, the UK’s Prime Minister, Boris Johnson took to his official Twitter account to speak directly to the LGBT+ community.

    In the Tweet Johnson wrote that that he was thankful for the “inspirational work in fighting tirelessly to overcome the prejudices many face”

    He added, that the contributions by the community had “helped shape a better future for people in the UK and around the world”

    However, many users on Twitter were not pleased for Johnson’s thanks. Many took the opportunity to remind the Prime Minister of the various controversial things that he has written about the gay community over the years.

    Embed from Getty Images

    During the late 90s and early 00s, Johnson was a columnist for The Telegraph and The Spectator. He used his platform to write several comments about marriage between gay men and teaching same-sex relationships in the classroom.

    He also used his platform to say he was a supporter of the very damaging Margaret Thatcher policy, Section 28.

    Since 2001 and in the time in which Johnson has been an MP there have been 16 votes in which he was eligible to vote. Of that 16, he voted positively in three, negatively in 1 and abstained from voting in the rest.

    Lord Michael Cashman responded to the Tweet saying, “We had to fight to overcome you and people in your party. And there are still some there like Liz Truss. To name one from many.”

    https://twitter.com/mcashmanCBE/status/1267582160342523906

    His Tweet which has been liked 4.9K times and retweeted 509 has been ratio’d with over 1.4K comments, the majority of which were negative.

  • It’s Deaf Awareness Week, so here’s how you can say, Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender in Sign Language

    It’s Deaf Awareness Week, so here’s how you can say, Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender in Sign Language

    This week (4th May – 10th May) it’s Deaf Awareness week in the UK. So here’s how you say some important LGBT+ terms in British Sign Language.

    A few years ago, Deaf Direct produced a video, just before Pride season, which included various British Sign Language signs to help everybody get to grasp with a few LGBT+ terms.

    The video was created by Deaf Direct to “celebrate the diversity of our community”.

    If you’ve ever wanted to know how to sign the words lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer, this simple video helps you say those words perfectly.

    William and Simon, who both appear in the video explain that in the UK we use BSL – rather than ASL (American Sign Language) and they take us through the gestures you need to make to say, in BSL, a few terms which identify LGBT+ folks.

    The words they recreate are:

    Lesbian

    Gay

    Bisexual

    Transgender

    Queer

    Straight

    Leather

    Bear

    Drag

    Pride Day

    Happy Pride Day

    Fabulous

    So go learn how to say Happy Pride Day you Fabulous Queers

  • When is Pride Month in the UK in 2020?

    When is Pride Month in the UK in 2020?

    Pride season in the UK starts around April and continues right through to September, so is there an actual “Pride Month”?

    When is Pride Month in the UK?

    Officially Pride Month is in June in 2020.

    Pride Month stemmed from the US, which has been adopted more widely across the world, but in reality, there are many Pride months across the globe. For instance, Sydney Mardi Gras, Australia’s biggest pride takes place in February (although they do have a Pride festival in June) and here in the UK, there isn’t such thing as one month for Pride.

    In the US most prides happen in the month of June to coincide with the anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall Riots, in the UK however things are a little more spread out with more and more county, city and town prides becoming available.

    There are over 150 pride events in the UK alone and they start in Feb with the last (outside Winter Pride) in September. So Pride month in the UK is better described as Pride Half Year!

    In 2019 the town of Llanelli in South Wales celebrated it’s first pride.

    Want to know more about prides, see our entire collection of Pride articles here. Want to shop for Pride Merchandise, visit our partner retailer, THE PRIDE SHOP.

  • This is when every pride in the UK is taking place in 2020

    This is when every pride in the UK is taking place in 2020

    Pride event calendar for the UK

    With more pride events than ever before it’s good to know where your nearest pride is and when its due to take place.

    So here’s the current list of UK prides and when they’re expected to take place, brought to you in connection with The Pride Shop.

    Some of the pride events have yet to confirm their 2020 dates, when they have we’ll update them on this page!

    Scotland

    Scotland

    Aberdeen Pride / Grampian Pride | 30th May 2020 | Facebook

    Edinburgh Pride | 13th June 2020 | Facebook

    Dundee Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Glasgow Pride| Date TBC | Facebook

    Highland Pride | 19th July 2020 | Facebook

    Oban Pride | 30th May 2020 | Facebook

    Perthshire Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    England

    Banbury Pride | 15th August 2020 | Facebook

    Barnsley Pride | 12th July 2020 | Facebook

    Basildon Pride | 5th September 2020 | Facebook

    Birmingham Pride | 23rd – 25th May 2020 | Facebook

    Blackpool Pride | 5th – 7th June 2020 | Facebook

    Bolton Pride | 19th September 2020 | Facebook

    Bournemouth / Bourne Free | 3rd and 4th July 2020 |Facebook

    Bradford Pride | 6th June 2020 | Facebook

    Brighton Pride | 1st August 2020 | Facebook

    Bristol Pride | 11th July 2020 | Facebook

    Calderdale Pride | 15th August 2020 | Facebook

    Cambridge Pride | 13th June 2020 | Facebook

    Canterbury Pride (Pride Canterbury) | 13th June 2020 | Facebook

    Chase Pride | 6th June 2020 | Facebook

    Chester Pride | 8th August 2020 | Facebook

    Chesterfield Pride | 19th July 2020 | Facebook

    Colchester Pride | 13th June 2020 | Facebook

    Congleton Pride | 18th July 2020 | Facebook

    Cornwall Pride | 29th August 2020 | Facebook

    Cornwall Bus Tour | TBC | Facebook

    Coventry Pride | 13th June 2020 | Facebook

    Crewe Pride (Pride In The Park)| 20th June 2020 | Facebook

    Croydon Pride | 18th July 2020 | Facebook

    Deptford Pride | Date to TBC | Facebook

    Derby Pride | 5th September 2020 | Facebook

    Doncaster Pride | 8th August 2020 | Facebook

    Dorchester Pride | Date to TBC | Facebook

    Durham Pride | 24th May 2020 | Facebook

    Eastbourne Pride | 18th July 2020 | Facebook

    Eastleigh Pride | 6th June 2020 | Facebook

    Essex Pride | 20th June 2020 | Facebook

    Folkestone Pride | 18th July 2020 | Facebook

    Forest Gate / East London Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Exeter Pride | 2nd May 2020 | Facebook

    Exmouth Pride | 20th June 2020 | Facebook

    Gloucestershire Pride (Pride In Gloucestershire) | 12th September 20120 | Facebook

    Gravesham Pride | 15th August 2020 | Facebook

    Great Yarmouth and Waveney Pride | 27th June 2020 | Facebook

    Hampshire Pride | 25th April 2020 | Facebook

    Happy Valley Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Harrogate Pride (Pride In Diversity) | 21st June 2020 | Facebook

    Hastings Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Hert Pride | 22nd August 2020 | Facebook

    Hull Pride (Pride In Hull) | 25th July 2020 | Facebook

    Keighley Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Pride | 22nd August 2020 | Facebook

    Lancaster Pride | 20th June 2020 | Facebook

    Leeds Pride | 2nd August 2020 | Facebook

    Leicester Pride | 5th September 2020 | Facebook

    Pride In London | 27th June 2020 | Facebook

    Lincoln Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Liverpool Pride | 25th July 2020 | Facebook

    Malvern Pride | 25th July 2020 | Facebook

    Manchester Pride | 29th August 2020 | Facebook

    Margate Pride | 8th August 2020 | Facebook

    Milton Keynes Pride | 12th September 2020 | Facebook

    Morecambe Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Nantwich Pride | 18th July 2020 | Facebook

    Newcastle Pride (Northern Pride) | 18th July 2020 | Facebook

    Northumberland Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Nottingham Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Norwich Pride | 25th July 2020 | Facebook

    Oldham Pride | 25th July 2020 | Facebook

    Oxford Pride | 22nd – 29th May 2020 | Facebook

    Plymouth Pride | 8th August 2020 | Facebook

    Portsmouth Pride | 20th June 2020 | Facebook

    Preston Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Reading Pride | 5th September 2020 | Facebook

    Rochdale Pride (Rochdale In Rainbows) | Date TBC | Facebook

    Rotherham Pride | 11th July 2020 | Facebook

    Salford Pride (The Pink Picnic)| 20th June 2020 | Facebook

    Salisbury Pride | 13th June 2020 | Facebook

    Sheffield Pride | 25th July 2020 | Facebook

    Silloth Pride | 27th June 2020 | Facebook

    Southampton Pride | 29th August 2020 | Facebook

    Stockport Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Stoke On Trent Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Suffolk Pride | 20th June 2020 | Facebook

    Sunderland Pride |13th June 2020 | Facebook

    Surrey Pride | 8th August 2020 | Facebook

    Swindon and Wiltshire Pride | 8th August 2020 | Facebook

    Tameside Pride | 18th July 2020 | Facebook

    Totnes Pride (Proud2Be) | 5th September 2020 | Facebook

    Tunbridge Wells Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Wakefield Pride | 9th August 2020 | Facebook

    Walsall Pride | 29th August 2020 | Facebook

    Waltham Forest Pride | 25th July 2020 | Facebook

    Warwickshire Pride | 22nd August 2020 | Facebook

    Weymouth and Portland Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Wigan Pride | 8th August 2020 | Facebook

    Worcestershire Pride | 19th September 2020 | Facebook

    Worksop Pride | Postponed until 2021 | Facebook

    Worthing Pride | 11th July 2020 | Facebook

    Yeovil Pride | 8th August 2020 | Facebook

    York Pride | 6th June 2020 | Facebook

    Wales

    Barry Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Cardiff Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Llanelli Pride | 17th – 20th July 2020 | Facebook

    Swansea Pride | 2nd May 2020 | Facebook

    Northern Ireland Prides

    Belfast Pride | 1st August 2020 | Facebook

    Derry Pride / Foyle Pride | 29th August 2020 | Facebook

    Limerick Pride | 11th July 2020 | Facebook

    Newry Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    UK Island Prides

    Isle of Wight Pride | 18th July 2020 | Facebook

    Channel Island Pride | 12th September 2020 | Facebook

    Isle of Man Pride | 13th June 2020 | Facebook


    Specialised Prides

    Student Pride | 21st February 2020 | Facebook

    UK Black Pride | 12th July 2020 | Facebook

    Trans Pride Leeds | 5th April 2020 | Facebook

    Bi Pride | Date TBC | Facebook

    Brighton Trans Pride | 18th July 2020 | Facebook

    Northern Ireland Trans Pride | 6th – 7th June 2020 | Facebook

    Scotland

    Aberdeen Pride | TBC

    Edinburgh Pride | 20th June 2020

    Dundee Pride | TBC

    Glasgow Pride | TBC

    Highland Pride | TBC

    Oban Pride | TBC

    Perthshire Pride | TBC

    England

    Banbury Pride | TBC

    Barnsley Pride | 12th September 2020

    Basildon Pride | 5th September 2020

    Birmingham | 23rd – 24th May 2020

    Blackpool Pride | 5th – 7th June 2020

    Bolton Pride | TBC

    Bournemouth / Bourne Free | TBC

    Bradford | TBC

    Brighton Pride | 1st August 2020

    Bristol Pride | 11th July 2020

    Calderdale Pride | TBC

    Cambridge Pride | 13th June 2020

    Canterbury Pride | TBC

    Chase Pride | 6th June 2020

    Chester Pride | TBC

    Chesterfield Pride | 19th July 2020

    Colchester Pride | 27th June 2020

    Congleton Pride | TBC

    Cornwall Pride | 29th August 2020

    Cornwall Bus Tour | TBC

    Coventry | TBC

    Crewe Pride | 20th June 2020

    Croydon Pride | 18th July 2020

    Deptford Pride | TBC

    Derby pride | TBC

    Doncaster Pride | 8th August 2020

    Dorchester Pride | TBC

    Durham Pride | TBC

    Eastbourne Pride | 18th July 2020

    Eastleigh Pride | TBC

    Essex Pride | TBC

    Folkestone Pride | TBC

    Forest Gate / East London Pride | TBC

    Exeter | TBC

    Exmouth Pride | 20th June 2020

    Gloucestershire Pride | TBC

    Grampian Pride | 30th May 2020

    Gravesham Pride | 22nd August 2020

    Great Yarmouth and Waveney Pride | TBC

    Hampshire Pride | TBC

    Happy Valley Pride | TBC

    Harrogate Pride | TBC

    Hastings Pride | TBC

    Hertfordshire Pride | TBC

    Hull Pride | TBC

    Keighley Pride | TBC

    King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Pride | 22nd August 2020

    Lancaster Pride | TBC

    Leeds Pride | 2nd August 2020

    Leicester Pride | TBC

    Pride In London | TBC

    Liverpool Pride | 25th July 2020

    Lincoln Pride | TBC

    Malvern Pride | 25th July 2020

    Manchester Pride | 29th August 2020

    Margate Pride | TBC

    Milton Keynes Pride | 12th September 2020

    Morecombe Pride | TBC

    Nantwich Pride | 18th July 2020

    Newcastle Pride | 18th July 2020

    Northumberland Pride | 1st June 2020

    Nottingham Pride | TBC

    Norwich Pride | 25th July 2020

    Oldham Pride | TBC

    Oxford pride | TBC

    Plymouth Pride | 8th August 2020

    Portsmouth Pride | TBC

    Preston Pride | TBC

    Reading Pride | TBC

    Rochdale Pride | TBC

    Rotherham Pride | 11th July 2020

    Salford Pride | 20th June 2020

    Salisbury Pride | 13th June 2020

    Sheffield Pride | TBC

    Silloth Pride | 27th June 2020

    Southampton Pride | TBC

    Stockport Pride | TBC

    Stoke On Trent Pride | TBC

    Suffolk pride | TBC

    Sunderland Pride | TBC

    Surrey Pride | TBC

    Tameside Pride | TBC

    Totness Pride | 5th September 2020

    Tunbridge Wells Pride | TBC

    Wakefield Pride | 9th August 2020

    Walsall Pride | 29th August 2020

    Warwickshire Pride | 22nd August 2020

    Weymouth and Portland Pride | TBC

    Wigan Pride | TBC

    Worcestershire Pride | TBC

    Worksop Pride | TBC

    Worthing Pride | 11th July 2020

    Yeovil Pride | 8th August 2020

    York Pride | 6th June 2020

    Wales

    Barry | TBC

    Cardiff | TBC

    Llanelli Pride | 17th – 20th July 2020

    Swansea | 2nd May 2020

    Northern Ireland Prides

    Belfast Pride | TBC

    Derry Pride / Foyle Pride | TBC

    Limerick Pride | TBC

    Newry pride | TBC

    UK Island Prides

    Isle of Wight Pride | 18th July 2020

    Jersey Pride |

    Guernsey Pride |

    Isle of Man Pride | 13th June 2020


    Specialised Prides

    Student Pride | 21st February 2020

    UK Black Pride | 12th July 2020

    Bi Pride |

    Brighton Trans Pride | 18th July 2020

    Northern Ireland Trans Pride | 6th – 7th June 2020

  • Politicians demand Manchester Pride answer to “disastrous Fyre Festival” comparison

    Politicians demand Manchester Pride answer to “disastrous Fyre Festival” comparison

    The Liberal Democrats have demanded an Equalities Scrutiny summoning for Manchester Pride organisers amidst comparisons to the disastrous Fyre Festival.

    Lib Dem leader John Leech wrote to the Chair of Communities and Equalities Scrutiny Committee outlining a number of serious concerns surrounding the organisation and running of Pride including accusations of racism and lack of disabled access.

    Various attendees at the event which cost upwards of £70 to attend complained of terrible visibility issues for those in wheelchairs and poor crowd management for the headline event, starring Ariana Grande. Many condemned the Pride event – likened this year’s celebrations to the notorious Fyre Festival.

    The Lib Dems have demanded a summoning to investigate the Parade’s security, freedom of the press, disabled access, racism and equality issues.

    To jusitfy their demand, the Lib Dems says that the following allegations must be answered for:

    “Security: A group of individuals were able to hijack the parade, and allowed to take part in the parade, despite not arranging to be involved in advance. There is a real danger that other groups may try to do the same in the future.

    “Freedom of the Press: A photo-journalist was blocked from taking photos of protesters. Pride staff tried to make him leave the vigil, and made complaints made about photos taken from public locations. The journalist was also threatened with having his accreditation withheld in the future.

    “Disabled Access: People were allowed to block the view of disabled visitors to the parade at disabled viewing platforms, and access for disabled visitors was not maintained around the village.

    “Ticket Issues: People with tickets were not being able to gain access to the Mayfield venue, after restrictions on entry after 7 PM were introduced after tickets had been sold. Other ticket holders have complained about not being allowed back in after visiting the toilets near to the entrance.

    “Racism: Complaints of racism from black and Asian visitors who were refused entry into bars, not served in clubs and were followed around by staff”.

    Liberal Democrat Leader John Leech said, “Every year, Manchester proudly welcomes people from all backgrounds from around the world for the biggest and best celebration of equality, where we come together to renew our fight for equal rights.

    “But serious concerns have been raised about this year’s Pride celebrations, including accusations of racism and limited disabled access.

    “As a celebration that should be all-inclusive, we cannot let concerns like this slip and the Council has a responsibility to ensure it is a safe, inclusive and successful event.

    “The Lib Dems have therefore called for the organisers of Pride, including the PR and security teams, be brought in front of the Equalities Scrutiny Committee, along with Council Officers, to get to the bottom of these concerns and ensure they are never repeated.”

  • This company paraded 12 naked people in full rainbow colours for Amsterdam pride for an amazing reason

    This company paraded 12 naked people in full rainbow colours for Amsterdam pride for an amazing reason

    Amsterdam Pride is an LGBT+ festival held annually in Amsterdam during the first weekend of August.

    The festival attracts several hundred-thousand visitors each year and is undoubtedly one of the largest publicly held annual events in The Netherlands. The peak of the festival is during the Canal Parade. The 24th edition of the parade, which this year took place on the 3rd of August, featured 80 boats, which included a selection of people from the STI clinic at healthcare centre GGD Amsterdam, the fire department, the police department, AIDS Fonds, and the City of Amsterdam.

    While the event preached inclusivity, acceptance, and self-identity, it wasn’t all rainbows. Multiple people have come out reporting attacks and verbal abuse. Early on Saturday morning, a lesbian couple was beaten up by two men on a scooter in Amsterdam city centre. According to the Dutch newspaper Het Parool, they were walking hand-in-hand after a night out when they were attacked.

    The women walked away from the attack with bruises, a broken lip and a swollen nose. On the same day, a gay couple was assaulted by four men. The two victims were walking along the Prinsengracht, their arms around each other. This caught the attention of the four assailants. According to NH Nieuws, two other men held each other’s hands in the backseat of an Uber and gave each other a kiss. The driver allegedly verbally assaulted the couple and spat on their faces.

    All incidents have been reported to the police.

    Because cases like these continue to happen, two days before the world-famous Canal Parade, Polette decided to stand up for LGBTQ+ rights by organizing its own parade while bringing a message of love and acceptance to the streets of Amsterdam.

    Founded in 2011 by Pierre Wizman and Pauline Cousseau, Polette has revolutionized and disrupted the eye-wear industry by challenging the traditional optical establishment. The head office in Amsterdam is the creative centre of the company. The designers draw inspiration from everything around them: fashion, music, art, architecture, and everyday life.

    To celebrate this year’s Amsterdam Pride, Polette decided to create a human rainbow flag. While “remembering the past and creating the future” (the theme chosen for this year’s Pride), the 12 body-painted people (me included) marched from the iconic Dam Square to the Homomonument – a memorial which commemorates all gay men and lesbians who have been subjected to persecution because of their sexuality. Polette also filmed a mini-documentary focusing on how far we came as a community. In this mini-documentary, we hear the different stories and perspectives of the different people who took part in this initiative. Can you relate to any of our stories? Let us know in the comments.

     

    Miguel Martins

    (Mister Senior Netherlands 2018 3rd Runner-Up / Winner Public Choice / Winner Best Talent)