Pride in London: Difference between revisions
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{{short description|Annual LGBT event in London, England}} |
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[[Image:pridelondonstage.jpg|thumb|right|''Pride London 2008, the Main Stage in Trafalgar Square'']] |
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{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2020}} |
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{{Use British English|date=April 2014}} |
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{{Infobox company |
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| name = Pride in London |
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| logo = Official Logo 2022.png |
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| logo_caption = Pride in London Logo |
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| type = [[Community Interest Company]] |
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| founded = {{start date and age|1972}} |
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| area_served = [[London]], [[Greater London]] |
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| revenue = £1.4m |
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| location_city = City of London |
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| location_country = |
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| num_employees = 15 |
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| parent = LONDON LGBT COMMUNITY PRIDE C.I.C. |
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| website = https://prideinlondon.org |
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}} |
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{{LGBT UK sidebar|pride events}} |
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'''Pride in London''' is an annual [[LGBT pride]] festival and [[pride parade]] held each summer in London, England. The event, which was formerly run by '''Pride London''', is sometimes referred to as London Pride. |
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Pride in London celebrates the diversity of the [[LGBT communities]] with the colourful Pride in London Parade, as well as free festivity events that take place in Trafalgar Square. This event brings together people of all genders, ethnicities, sexualities, and races.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.visitlondon.com/things-to-do/event/25685785-pride-in-london|title=Visit London}}</ref> |
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One of the longest running pride festivals in the country and the largest, Pride in London boasts an estimated 30,000 participants<ref>{{Cite web |title=2023 Parade |url=https://prideinlondon.org/ |access-date=2023-03-31 |website=Pride in London |language=en-GB}}</ref> and attracts an estimated 1.5 million visitors.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-07-02 |title=Pride in London: More than a million attend 'biggest ever parade' |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-62021527 |access-date=2023-03-31}}</ref> The festival's events and location within London vary every year, however the parade is the only annual event to close London's [[Oxford Street]]. |
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Pride London is a registered charity<ref>{{EW charity|1104774}}</ref>. The organisation is run by volunteers (including the [[board of directors]]). The stated aim of Pride London is to produce a highly professional Pride Festival and an annual Pride Day comprising a Parade through central London, a politically based Rally and free entertainment in central London. |
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== |
== History == |
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[[File:"Gays Against Fascism" - First Gay Pride March.jpg|thumb|left|Gay Pride march on [[Cockspur Street]], 1974<!---1974 is the year given on the LSE catalogue entry for this image--->]] |
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Pride has been organised by several organisations since the first official [[UK]] [[Gay Pride]] [[Demonstration (people)|Rally]] which was held in London on 1 July 1972 (chosen as the nearest Saturday to the anniversary of the [[Stonewall riots]] of 1969) with approximately 200 participants.<ref> London Pride on lgbthistoryuk.org{{cite web|url=https://lgbthistoryuk.org/wiki/London_Pride </ref><ref> Out of the Shadows by Tony Walton ISBN 978-0-9566091-0-6 page 61 gives an estimated 200–700 people taking part in the march itself and maybe as many as 1000 in the whole event, including the rally and picnic in Hyde Park </ref><ref>{{harv|Walton|2010|p=59}} Peter Tatchell estimates 700 joined the march itself.</ref> The first public event took place in November 1970 with up to 150 men walking through Highbury Fields in North London.<ref name=Walton61>{{harv|Walton|2010|p=61}}</ref> In 1971 the GLF youth group organised an age of consent rally in London.<ref> see Courage to be: Organised Gay Youth in England 1967–1990, A history of the London Gay Teenage Group and other lesbian and gay youth groups, by Clifford Williams,was published in October 2021 (The Book Guild)</ref> |
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In 1981, the usual Pride march and rally was not held in London, decamping to Huddersfield instead as an act of solidarity with the Yorkshire gay community who claimed that [[West Yorkshire Police]] were harassing them by repeatedly raiding the Gemini Club, a leading nightclub in the North of England at the time. |
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The upcoming Pride London Parade is [[World Pride]] and will happen on Saturday 7th July 2012 at 13:00<ref>http://www.pridelondon.org/bigday/</ref>. The details of this are to be confirmed owing to outside sources, such as [[Westminster Council]] needing to arrange routes and logistics. The Pride London Festival Fortnight (below) also has dates arranged with further arrangements to be confirmed. |
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In 1985 representatives from mining groups joined the [[Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners]] group (LGSM) on the march. This was in recognition of the support given to striking miners by LGSM. |
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==History== |
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The controversy of [[Section 28]] from 1988 led to numbers increasing on the march in protest. |
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Pride has been organized by several organizations since the first official [[UK]] [[Gay Pride]] [[Demonstration (people)|Rally]] which was held in London on the 1st July 1972 (chosen as the nearest Saturday to the anniversary of the [[Stonewall riots]] of 1969) with approximately 2000 participants.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.knittingcircle.org.uk/pridehistory.html|title=The Knitting Circle: Pride, Pride History|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/19960101-re_/http://www.knittingcircle.org.uk/pridehistory.html|archivedate=2007-12-31}}</ref><ref>{{harv|Walton|2010|p=59}} Peter Tatchell estimates 700 joined the march itself.</ref> The first London gay marches were in November 1970 with 150 men walking through Highbury Fields in North London.<ref name=Walton61>{{harv|Walton|2010|p=61}}</ref> The controversy of [[Section 28]] from 1979 lead to numbers increasing on the march in protest. In 1983 the march was renamed "Lesbian and Gay Pride" and in the 1990s became more of a carnival event. There were large park gatherings and a fair after the marches up until 2003.<ref name=Walton61/> |
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Since 1983 the march was called "Lesbian and Gay Pride" and by the 1990s it had become more of a carnival event, with large park gatherings and a fair after the marches.<ref name=Walton61 /> For 1996, following a vote by the members of the Pride Trust, the event was renamed "Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride" and became the largest free music festival in Europe. |
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Pride London itself was formed in 2004. Since 2004 a political rally in [[Trafalgar Square]] has been held straight after the parade, and more recently Pride London has organised several other events in the centre of [[London]] on Pride Day including in 2006 'Drag Idol' in [[Leicester Square]], a women's stage in Soho and a party in [[Soho Square]]. In 1992 London was selected to hold the first [[Europride]] with attendance put at 100,000 <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.greenleft.org.au/1992/62/2898|title=Huge turnout for EuroPride '92}}</ref>, London again held Europride in 2006 with an estimated 600,000 participants. In 2004 it was awarded registered charity status. |
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In 1992, London was selected to hold the first [[Europride]] with attendance put at 100,000;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.greenleft.org.au/1992/62/2898|title=Huge turnout for EuroPride '92|first=Norm|last=Dixon|website=Greenleft.org.au|access-date=21 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930014455/http://www.greenleft.org.au/1992/62/2898|archive-date=30 September 2007|df=dmy-all}}</ref> London again held Europride in 2006 with an estimated 600,000 participants. |
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==Parade== |
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[[Image:pridelondonparadeandflag.jpg|thumb|left|Pride London Parade 2008, the 100m rainbow flag]] |
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Large numbers of [[LGBT-friendly]] people (including a significant number of family, friends and supporters) from all walks of life take part in the parade. Since 1991, the [[Friends of Dorothy Society]] of [[Bellringing|Change Ringers]] have rung the bells of the church of [[St Martin in the Fields]] in [[Trafalgar Square]] during the morning of Pride, and as the parade passes through. For many the most iconic image is of a long rainbow flag, in 2006 this was carried by members of the Metro Centre. In 2010 it was jointly carried by EDF Energy and Tesco's staff network groups. |
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In 1998, the Pride Trust became insolvent and no event was organised that year, it was believed by some that the decision to make it a ticket only event played a role in the 1998 event not happening.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/gay-revellers-are-divided-by-pride-1166359.html|title=Gay Revellers Are Divided By Pride|website=[[Independent.co.uk]] |date=20 June 1998 }}</ref> |
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Since 2006 [[Regent Street]] and [[Oxford Street]] have been closed off to allow the parade to pass through. This is seen by many in the LGBT community as a sign of wider acceptance, although the parade once marched down [[Oxford Street]] illegally in protest in the 80s. |
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For the next few years, another commercial organisation ran what it called 'London Mardi Gras' before it failed to pay its bill for the use of Hyde Park and was unable to run any more events without clearing that debt. |
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[[File:Pride London 2011 FFLAG banner.jpg|thumb|FFLAG group taking part in the Pride London parade 2011.]] |
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Groups who participate include The OutZone Youth Project for gay and bisexual young men ([[Project for Advocacy, Counselling and Education]]), Mosaic LGBT Youth, [[File:Pride London parade in Picadilly Circus 2009.jpg|thumb|Pride London Parade 2009 passing through Picadilly Circus]][[Queer Youth Network]](formally The Queer Youth Alliance), OutOnThursday, Metro Centre, Youth@Pride, [[The Pink Paper]] and [[Transport for London]]. Since 2004 the [[Mayor of London]], both [[Ken Livingstone]] and [[Boris Johnson]] have participated by walking part of the route with the rainbow flag. |
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'Pride London' was formed in 2004, since then a political rally in [[Trafalgar Square]] has been held straight after the parade, and more recently Pride London has organised several other events in the centre of London on Pride Day including the [[Big Gay Out (London)|Big Gay Out]] music festival in [[Finsbury Park]] in 2004, and in 2006 'Drag Idol' in [[Leicester Square]], a women's stage in Soho and a party in [[Soho Square]].<ref name='bbc'>{{cite news|title=Thousands party at Gay Pride|work=[[BBC News]]|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/3862351.stm|date=5 July 2004|access-date=5 June 2019}}</ref> |
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===Volunteers=== |
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Pride London has a [http://www.pridelondon.org/volunteer volunteer stewarding system] for the parade which is used as an example by many other pride events. Every single person, including all directors and trusties are entirely voluntary. License conditions set by Westminster Council requires a minimum of 250 stewarding staff, which for 2011 consists of 50 Senior Stewards, who manage 5 teams of stewards. There are around 10 Area Managers currently, who generally work for the Operations Team of Pride London to plan the event. |
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In 2004, it was awarded registered charity status. |
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The 2012 event was [[WorldPride]],<ref name="pridelondon2">{{cite web|url=http://www.pridelondon.org/bigday |title=Big Day |publisher=Pridelondon.org |access-date=23 February 2012|url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717112717/http://www.pridelondon.org/bigday|archive-date=17 July 2011}}</ref> though this was to be the last event organised by Pride London.[[File:Pride London 2011 FFLAG banner.jpg|thumb|[[FFLAG]] group taking part in the Pride London March 2011.]] |
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The 2011 Pride Parade saw the largest number of volunteers turn out after over 700 registered, and over 350 arrived on the day. This is after a campaign ran by Joseph Newman-Saunders, Volunteers Communications Administrator, in an attempt to ensure a large turn out of volunteers for [[World Pride 2012]]. {{Citation needed|date=July 2010}} |
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In late 2012, a group of individuals from within the LGBT community formed London LGBT+ Community Pride, a registered [[community interest company]], and the company organised the Pride in London festival and parade in 2013. The organisation has been awarded a contract to organise Pride in London for five years by the [[Greater London Authority]], together with funding of £500,000 over five years. |
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The first International Asexual Conference was held at the 2012 World Pride in London.<ref name="Tarrant2015">{{cite book|author=Shira Tarrant|title=Gender, Sex, and Politics: In the Streets and Between the Sheets in the 21st Century|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=t6nwCQAAQBAJ&pg=PT278|date=19 June 2015|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-1-317-81475-7|pages=278–}}</ref> |
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All volunteers are rewarded with a Pride Privilege Card<ref>http://www.pridelondon.org/getinvolved/privilegecard</ref> which businesses, mainly in the gay hub of London, Soho, provide a various number of rewards and discounts. The main sponsor of this Pride Privilege Card is [[Nandos]]<ref>http://www.pridelondon.org/getinvolved/privilegecard</ref>. |
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== Recent events == |
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=== 2022 – #AllOurPride === |
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The volunteering aspect is in two sections, Operations Team and The Board. The 'on the day' stewards and volunteers is as follows; |
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After two years of cancelled events due to COVID-19 restrictions, The 2022 parade occurred on 2 July 2022. 2022 marked the 50th anniversary of the inaugural Pride march within London organised by the [[Gay Liberation Front]] in 1972. The 2022 parade was led by members of the GLF who had attended the 1972 parade.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-07-02 |title=Pride in London: More than a million attend 'biggest ever parade' |language=en-GB |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-62021527 |access-date=2022-08-23}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-07-02 |title=Dame Kelly Holmes and Emily Sandé join biggest Pride march in London – live |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/pride-march-london-route-2022-b2114548.html |access-date=2022-08-23 |website=The Independent |language=en}}</ref> |
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=== 2021 (Cancelled) === |
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On 26 February 2021, it was announced that Pride in London will be going ahead on the weekend of 11 September 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Pride in London announces 2021 date|url=https://prideinlondon.org//news-and-views/pride-in-london-announces-2021-date/|access-date=2021-03-08|website=Pride in London|language=en-GB}}</ref> |
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* Stewards - These volunteers wear yellow polo shirts and are a 5-6 people team |
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* Senior Stewards - These volunteers wear red polo shirts and manage the above 5-6 team |
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* Area Manager - These volunteers wear green polo shirts and generally manage between 1 and 4 of the above teams |
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* Deputy Chief Stewards - These volunteers wear navy blue polo shirts and generally manage between 2-5 of the area managers above |
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* Chief Steward - This is the one person known by the police as Event Silver, who is officially in charge of all of the above |
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In August 2021, the event was cancelled in full due to COVID-19, stating that final risk assessments would not allow the parade to be held. This is despite the lifting of most COVID-19 restrictions in England.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2021-08-06|title=Pride in London parade cancelled for second year|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-58112895|access-date=2021-08-06}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Media|first=P. A.|date=2021-08-06|title=Pride in London cancelled due to Covid compliance challenges|url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/aug/06/pride-in-london-cancelled-due-to-covid-compliance-challenges|access-date=2021-08-06|website=The Guardian|language=en}}</ref> |
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=== 2020 – #YouMeUsWe (Cancelled) === |
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Generally those Area Manager and above work within the Operations Team of Pride London. This team meets throughout the year to make the parade happen. They work under the non-operational and non-logistical directive of The Board of Director and Trusties who each have an area of responsibility. Each member of the Operations Team also has an area of responsibility. |
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The 2020 parade was scheduled for 27 June 2020. In March 2020, it was postponed, with no new date announced, due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]]. However, Gay rights activists from Clapham arranged a gathering on Clapham Common to celebrate Pride 2020. This gathering turned into a large party that was penned by BBC News as an illegal rave and was shut down by police at 11pm. |
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During the day there were pop-up performances, temporary tattoos, sing alongs and rainbow flags. There were no arrests.<ref>{{cite news| url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-52001388| title= Coronavirus postpones London Pride| last=Hunte| first=Ben| work=[[BBC News]]| date=23 March 2020| access-date=23 March 2020}}</ref> |
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=== 2019 – #PrideJubilee === |
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[[File:CEMB Pride 2019 - Topless Imams of Perpetual Indulgence.webm|thumb|[[Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain]] at Pride in London 2019]] |
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The 2019 parade occurred on 6 July.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://prideinlondon.org/blog/2019-parade-dates|title=Date for Pride in London Parade 2019 announced: 6th July 2019|website=Pride in London|language=en-GB|access-date=15 March 2019}}{{Dead link|date=September 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Following on from the 2018 anti-transgender protest, the organisation has committed to enhancing security for the event.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2018/11/30/pride-in-london-2019-security-hijack-dates/|title=Pride in London 2019 to 'enhance' security after anti-trans hijack|work=PinkNews|date=30 November 2018 |access-date=15 March 2019}}</ref> |
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The official London Pride 2019 song is ''Dance Like Nobody's watching'' by Finnish singer [[Saara Aalto]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Saara Aalto's 'Dance Like Nobody's Watching' is official song for Pride in London 2019|url=https://prideinlondon.org//news-and-views/saara-aaltos-dance-like-nobodys-watching-is-official-song-for-pride-in/|website=Pride in London|access-date=24 May 2020|date=27 June 2020|archive-date=6 June 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190606162658/https://prideinlondon.org//news-and-views/saara-aaltos-dance-like-nobodys-watching-is-official-song-for-pride-in/|url-status=dead}}</ref> |
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In 2011 the key people for Operations within Pride London were as follows<ref>http://www.pridelondon.org/about-us</ref>; |
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=== 2018 – #PrideMatters === |
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Pride in London ran its 2018 festival from 9 June until 7 July. The parade happened on 7 July consisting of around 30,000 participants, 500 groups and over 1 million attendees to the event. The event saw 4 stages hosted in Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square and Soho.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/pride-in-london-2018-thousands-march-through-central-london-for-this-years-colourful-parade-a3881861.html|title=More than one million attend 'most diverse' London Pride parade|date=7 July 2018|website=Evening Standard|language=en|access-date=15 March 2019}}</ref> The #PrideMatters theme followed on from a piece of research Pride in London did alongside [[YouGov]] with a nationwide consultation. The point of the theme was to show the discrimination the LGBT community continues to face on a daily basis, including hate crime and the requirement for continued social movement in support of LGBT rights and equality.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/go/london/attractions/london-pride-2018-these-parade-pictures-show-why-pride-still-matters-today-a3878491.html|title=These parade pictures show why Pride still matters today|date=6 July 2018|website=Evening Standard|language=en|access-date=15 March 2019}}</ref> |
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==== Anti-transgender protest controversy ==== |
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* Event Gold - This is the person in charge of the event and was Steve Erskine - Director of Communications |
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* Event Silver - This is the person in command on the ground and was Ben Whur - Head of Operations |
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* Chief Steward - Ben Whur |
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* Volunteer Manager - Martine Whittaker, note she was also Area Manager for Volunteering and Sign In |
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* Volunteers Communications Administrator - Joseph Newman-Saunders, note he was also Area Manager for Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square |
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* Access Manager - Michael Preston |
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During the 2018 Pride London, eight anti-trans activists carrying banners claiming "transactivism erases lesbians" took the lead of the demonstration without authorisation. They were quickly criticised by numerous LGBT organisations. The organisers of Pride London were also criticised for not having taken measures to remove the [[TERF|trans-exclusionary activists]] from the march.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/anti-trans-protest-london-pride-parade-lgbt-gay-2018-march-lesbian-gay-rights-a8436506.html|title=London Pride: Anti-trans activists disrupt parade by lying down in the street to protest 'lesbian erasure'|author=Josh Gabbatiss|date=7 July 2018|website=[[The Independent|independent.co.uk]]|access-date=12 September 2020}}</ref> |
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There are hundreds of people involved in making Pride London happen, however there is no available exhaustive list of persons involved. |
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=== 2017 – #LoveHappensHere === |
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==Pride London Festival Fortnight== |
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[[File:Pink beard.jpg|thumb|2017 Pride in London]] |
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2017 marked the 45th year of pride marches in London. The 2017 parade happened on 8 July and saw over 26,000 participants and around 300 groups. Following the [[2017 London Bridge attack|London Bridge terror attacks]], the parade was launched by members of the emergency services.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/pride-2017-thousands-gather-in-central-london-for-biggest-ever-pride-parade-a3583271.html|title=Pride 2017 saw thousands gather in London for its biggest ever parade|date=8 July 2017|website=Evening Standard|access-date=15 March 2019}}</ref> The #LoveHappensHere campaign came in two parts, with the first phase drawing attention to stories of anti-LGBT hate crime and the second phase in which a new set of stories is released focused on positive LGBT relationships and events within the London.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://lbbonline.com/news/pride-in-london-and-wcrs-celebrate-love-in-all-its-forms-in-love-happens-here-campaign/|title=Pride in London and WCRS Celebrate Love in All Its Forms in 'Love Ha {{!}} LBBOnline|website=lbbonline.com|language=en|access-date=15 March 2019}}</ref> |
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Following the 2017 event, Pride in London's community advisory board released a report heavily criticising the organisation for, amongst other items, a lack of attention to the bisexual and transgender part of the community as well as a breakdown in communication with [[UK Black Pride]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2017/08/17/pride-in-london-should-have-a-bi-focus-after-this-years-bi-erasure-damning-new-report-says/|title=Pride in London 'should have a bi-focus' after this year's 'bi-erasure', damning new report says|work=PinkNews|date=17 August 2017 |access-date=15 March 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gaytimes.co.uk/community/83832/new-report-slams-pride-in-london-saying-it-failed-to-grasp-the-importance-of-diversity/|title=New report slams Pride in London 2017, saying it "failed to grasp the importance of diversity"|date=17 August 2017|website=Gay Times|access-date=15 March 2019}}{{Dead link|date=September 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Pride in London responded to the report in a press release where they expressed concern over the report's accuracy and balance.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://prideinlondon.org/news/2017/8/16/pride-in-london-response-to-cab-report|title=Pride in London response to CAB report|website=Pride in London|language=en-GB|access-date=15 March 2019|archive-date=17 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181117143331/https://prideinlondon.org/news/2017/8/16/pride-in-london-response-to-cab-report|url-status=dead}}</ref>[[File:Pride in London 2016 - Matthew Barzun, Sadiq Khan and senior members of Pride in London.png|thumb|Former [[United States Ambassador to the United Kingdom|United States Ambassador]] [[Matthew Barzun]] and the [[Mayor of London]] [[Sadiq Aman Khan]] at Pride in London, June 2016]] |
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The Pride London Festival Fortnight started in 2006 when London hosted EuroPride. It re-emerged in 2009 as groundwork was laid for hosting [[World Pride]] in 2012. |
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=== 2016 – #NoFilter === |
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In 2009 the festival opened with The Bad Film Club presenting Can't Stop the Music at the Prince Charles Cinema on Saturday 20 June. It closed on 5 July 2009 with a performance from the London Gay Symphony Orchestra. |
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In 2016, the festival ran for over two weeks, from 10 June to 26 June with the parade being on 25 June. In 2016, the parade route changed, starting from Portland Place and then heading down through Regent Street, Oxford Circus, Waterloo Place, Trafalgar Square and then dispersing in Whitehall.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://metro.co.uk/2016/06/24/pride-london-2016-everything-you-need-to-know-5962397/|title=Everything you need to know about London Pride|date=24 June 2016|website=Metro|language=en-US|access-date=15 March 2019}}</ref> Up to one million people were expected to attend and the parade consisted over nearly 300 groups. |
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There was heightened security put in place for this event as the [[Orlando nightclub shooting]] had occurred earlier in the month. Following the attack, Pride in London reported a surge in support and said "it will be a celebration and commemoration. So many people have got in touch to say that they want to show their support after Orlando." A minute's silence was observed in remembrance.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/pride-in-london-2016-record-turnout-amid-heightened-security-as-orlando-shooting-victims-honoured-a3280806.html|title=Record numbers join London Pride march amid heightened security|date=25 June 2016|website=Evening Standard|language=en|access-date=15 March 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/gallery/2016/jun/25/pride-in-london-2016-in-pictures|title=Pride in London 2016 – in pictures|date=25 June 2016|work=The Guardian|access-date=15 March 2019|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref> |
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The upcoming Pride London Festival Fortnight is on 23rd June to 8th July 2012<ref>http://www.pridelondon.org/bigday</ref> with details to be confirmed. |
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=== 2015 – #PrideHeroes === |
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==Sponsors and Partners== |
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In 2015, the celebrations ran from 21 to 28 June, with the parade on the 27th; the day after same sex marriage became legalised nationwide in the United States. The theme "Pride Heroes" was used to celebrate LGBT figures of the day and throughout history including computer scientist [[Alan Turing]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/london-pride-30000-take-part-in-biggest-ever-gay-pride-parade-10349695.html|title=Tens of thousands are marching through London in the biggest ever gay pride parade|date=27 June 2015|website=The Independent|language=en|access-date=15 March 2019}}</ref> and a gay sports club The King's Cross Steelers.<ref>{{Citation|last=Pride in London|title=Pride Heroes – The King's Cross Steelers {{!}} Pride in London 2015|date=25 June 2015|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zO6fDV6ZigA|access-date=15 March 2019}}</ref> |
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There was controversy over the decision taken by Pride in London to disallow the [[UK Independence Party|UK Independence Party (UKIP)'s]] entry into the parade. Pride in London said, "This decision has been made after careful consultation in order to protect participants and ensure the event passes off safely and in the right spirit, it has not been made on a political basis".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/pride-in-london-2015-ukip-rejected-from-pro-lgbt-parade-to-protect-participants-10301771.html|title=Ukip has been banned from Pride in London|date=6 June 2015|website=The Independent|language=en|access-date=15 March 2019}}</ref> Despite the ban, UKIP supporters joined the parade with a banner of "Some gays are UKIP, get over it!", a reference to the continuing [[Stonewall UK|Stonewall]] "Get Over It" campaign.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/ukip-supporters-barge-into-london-in-pride-parade-despite-being-banned-by-organisers-10350214.html|title=Ukip supporters 'barge' into Pride in London parade despite being|date=27 June 2015|website=Evening Standard|language=en|access-date=15 March 2019}}</ref> |
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The headline sponsor for Pride London for 2011 and 2012 under a 2 year contract is [[Smirnoff]]. Other sponsors include [[TUC]], [[Mayor of London]], [http://VroomVroomVroom.co.uk VroomVroomVroom.co.uk], [[Tesco|Out at Tesco]], [http://www.ku-bar.co.uk Ku Bar], [http://www.fireclub.co.uk Fire] and [[Coca-Cola]] GB.<ref>http://www.pridelondon.org/about-us/sponsors</ref> |
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=== 2014 – #FreedomTo === |
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Steward staff have, in 2010 and in preparation for 2011, worn lanyards bearing the Coca-Cola logo and in previous years have worn [[RMT]] lanyards. [[Vitamin Water|The Vitamin Water Company]] in previous years have been worn as the sponsor on the right breast of the stewards t-shirts. |
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The pride week in 2014 ran from 22 to 29 June.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2013/12/06/date-and-theme-of-pride-in-london-2014-announced/|title=Date and theme of Pride in London 2014 announced |work=PinkNews|date=6 December 2013 |access-date=14 March 2019}}</ref> The event took place in the months following the implementation of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pride-in-london-2014|title=Pride in London 2014|website=GOV.UK|language=en|access-date=14 March 2019}}</ref> The theme #FreedomTo was designed to be open to interpretation and inclusive of many possibilities, from "freedom to marry" to "freedom to be out on the pitch for gay footballers".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-28070414|title=Record attendance at Pride London|date=28 June 2014|access-date=14 March 2019}}</ref> A social media where people were asked to submit what #FreedomTo meant to them using an image of themselves with their message formed part of the first Pride in London advertising campaign. Celebrities and members of the LGBT community were also shown on adverts on the London Underground and London buses. The advertising campaign ran for 2 weeks prior to Pride on 28 June 2014.<gallery> |
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Freedomto1.jpg | #FreedomTo Image 1 |
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FreedomTo2.jpeg | #FreedomTo Image 2 |
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Pride on DEP1.JPG | #FreedomTo campaign on Digital Escalator Panels on London Underground |
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Bus - Ben Cohen.JPG | FreedomTo Campaign on the side of London Buses (showing Ben Cohen) |
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[[Nandos]] are currently sponsors of the Pride Privilege Cards given to volunteers who work with Pride London.<ref>http://www.pridelondon.org/getinvolved/privilegecard</ref> |
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</gallery> |
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=== 2013 – Love (and Marriage) === |
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==Patrons== |
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After a bidding process organised by the Mayor of London in October 2012,<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2012/10/24/boris-johnson-launches-bidding-process-for-capitals-pride-event/|title=Boris Johnson launches bidding process for capital's Pride event |work=PinkNews |date=24 October 2012 |access-date=14 March 2019}}</ref> the newly formed London LGBT+ Community Pride was awarded a five-year contract and a grant worth £650,000 in January to deliver the annual pride celebrations within London.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2013/01/18/london-city-hall-announces-winner-of-gay-pride-bid/|title=London: City Hall announces winner of gay pride bid |work=PinkNews |date=18 January 2013 |access-date=14 March 2019}}</ref> The parade ran from Baker Street to Whitehall via Trafalgar Square. Around 150 groups marched within the parade.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-23113245|title=Thousands in London Pride parade|date=29 June 2013|access-date=14 March 2019|language=en-GB}}</ref> The theme "Love (and Marriage)" was chosen to coincide with MPs considering the [[Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013|Equal Marriage Bill]]. |
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== London LGBT+ Community Pride == |
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Pride London has had several famous patrons including: |
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{{Main|London LGBT+ Community Pride}} |
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{{Update section|date=November 2020}} |
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London LGBT+ Community Pride was formed in August 2012 as a Community Interest Company (CIC) to deliver Pride in London. It was founded as such so that any surplus generated can only be reinvested in Pride in London events or distributed as grants to LGBT community groups. The current CEO is Christopher Joell-Deshields and the Board of Directors are Dan O'Gorman, Asad Shaykh, Rebecca Paisis and Leon Collins. |
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In addition to the Board, the organisation has a Community Advisory Board which was established as an advisory and scrutiny body to help meet its commitment to openness and transparency, to advise on questions of inclusivity and to act as a source of guidance on governance and operational issues that may arise. |
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* [[Sir Elton John]] |
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* [[Sir Ian McKellen]] |
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* [[Lord Alli]] |
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* [[Chris Smith, Baron Smith of Finsbury]] |
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* [[Stephen Fry]] |
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* [[Rhona Cameron]] |
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* [[Michael Cashman]] MEP |
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* [[Peter Tatchell]] |
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* [[Wayne Sleep]] |
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=== Volunteers === |
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==Patrons and Ambassadors== |
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{{Expand section|date=March 2019}} |
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Pride also has over 200 core volunteers who work throughout the year on organising Pride. Pride work throughout the year to recruit volunteers to help steward Pride day. In 2019 Pride in London recruited over 1,000 volunteers to work on 28 June 2014.<ref>Pride in London Volunteer Management Team</ref> This was the largest volunteer team Pride has ever had. |
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=== Pride in London sponsors === |
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Pride London has several current famous patrons<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pridelondon.org/about-us/patrons-ambassadors |title=Patrons & Ambassadors |publisher=Pride London |date= |accessdate=2010-06-24}}</ref> including the following which is the most up-to-date. |
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The headline sponsor for Pride in London in 2019 were [[Tesco]]. Other sponsors have included [[Barclays Bank]], [[ASDA]], [[CitiBank]], [[Fuller's Brewery]] the brewer of [[London Pride (beer)]],<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.fullers.co.uk/blog/london-pride-articles/pride-loves-pride|title=Pride Loves Pride |website=Campaign |author=Fullers Brewery Blog |access-date=23 August 2023}}</ref> [[Prudential plc|Prudential]] and [[SAB Miller]]. The event is also supported by [[Mayor Of London]]. |
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[[DIVA Magazine]] is a long-running sponsor of the Women's Stage in [[Leicester Square]]. |
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Pride London is lucky to have a number of supportive patrons and ambassador. They give their time and resources to support us in a variety of ways, but most importantly by continuing to raise the profile of Pride London and of LGBT rights in the UK and across the world. |
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=== Controversy === |
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In 2018, the parade was led by an anti-trans organisation who forced their way into the parade.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2018-07-08|title=Pride in London sorry after anti-trans protest|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-44757403|access-date=2021-10-21}}</ref> This was widely condemned by LGBT organisations and community.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2018-07-08|title=Transphobia at Pride in London|url=https://www.stonewall.org.uk/node/82236|access-date=2021-10-21|website=Stonewall|language=en|archive-date=22 November 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211122025924/https://www.stonewall.org.uk/node/82236|url-status=dead}}</ref> The organisation continued to retain Martina Navratilova as a patron after commenting that the inclusion of transgender inclusion in sport is "insane and cheating".<ref>{{Cite web|last=Ennis|first=Dawn|date=2019-02-17|title=Martina Navratilova on trans athletes: 'Letting men compete as women is unfair'|url=https://www.outsports.com/2019/2/17/18227992/martina-navratilova-trans-athletes-are-men-competing-as-women-is-unfair|access-date=2021-10-21|website=Outsports|language=en}}</ref> [[London Trans+ Pride]], a separate pride march advocating for transgender rights, was founded in 2019 in response to the events of Pride in London 2018. |
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During March 2021 one of the most senior volunteers, the Director of Communications, [[Rhammel Afflick]] resigned in what they described as "distinct disregard for black and brown LGBT+ communities over a period of years".<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-09-08|title=Why I blew the whistle on racism at Pride|url=https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/lifestyle/article/london-pride-racism|access-date=2021-10-21|website=British GQ|language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|url= https://www.standard.co.uk/comment/black-pride-london-queer-people-of-colour-home-racism-b1018203.html?amp |title= For queer people of colour in London, Black Pride is crucial |journal=The Evening Standard|first=Emma|last=Loffhagen |date=18 March 2021|accessdate=18 March 2021}}</ref> On 18 March 2021 the entire Pride in London Community Advisory Board (CAB) resigned alleging both a culture of bullying and a hostile environment for people of colour. They cited "the increasing preoccupation at Pride in London with managing the public relations concerns of its leadership, at the cost of supporting its Black and [[Person of color|POC]] volunteers or community members".<ref>{{cite news|last=Mohdin |first=Aamna |date=2021-03-18|title=Entire Pride in London advisory board resigns citing 'hostile environment'|language=en-GB|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/mar/18/entire-pride-in-london-advisory-board-resigns-bullying-claims|access-date=2021-03-19|issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-03-18|title=Entire Pride in London Community Advisory Board quits after race row|url=https://www.itv.com/news/london/2021-03-18/entire-pride-in-london-community-advisory-board-quits-after-race-row-and-claims-of-bullying|access-date=2021-03-19|website=ITV News|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Cooney|first=Rebecca|title=Entire Pride in London advisory board quits amid claims of racism, bullying and marginalisation|url=https://www.thirdsector.co.uk/article/1710441|access-date=2021-03-19|website=www.thirdsector.co.uk}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=2021-03-18|title=Entire Pride of London advisory board quits and demands Sadiq Khan investigate 'hostile environment'|url=https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/03/18/pride-in-london-community-advisory-board-resignation-ozzy-amir-sadiq-khan-bullying/|access-date=2021-03-19|work=PinkNews}}</ref> Throughout 2021 sponsors withdrew from the event based on this controversy<ref>{{Cite web|last=EDITOR|date=2021-03-17|title=DIVA pulls out of Pride In London over racism concerns|url=https://divamag.co.uk/2021/03/17/diva-pulls-out-of-pride-in-london-over-racism-concerns/|access-date=2021-10-21|website=DIVA|language=en-GB}}</ref> |
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* [[Sir Elton John]] - He has been heavily involved in the fight against HIV and AIDS since the late 1980s and was knighted in 1998. |
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In October 2021 fourteen leading voices of the community wrote an open letter to the Mayor of London, who had previously called the organisation "a mess" and in need of a "reset and refresh how Pride in London is organised".<ref>{{Cite news|date=2021-03-29|title=Sadiq Khan says Pride in London is a 'mess' which needs an urgent 'reset'|url=https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2021/03/29/sadiq-khan-pride-in-london-mayor-met-police-racism-bullying-allegations/|access-date=2021-10-21|work=PinkNews}}</ref> The letter asked for intervention in the delivery of the event, including an investigation into bullying of volunteers, that directors make available a register of interests, and that the organisation engaged with the community.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Open letter to Mayor of London urges Pride reform {{!}} Peter Tatchell Foundation|url=https://www.petertatchellfoundation.org/open-letter-to-mayor-of-london-urges-pride-reform/|access-date=2021-10-21|website=www.petertatchellfoundation.org|date=20 October 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-10-20|title=Sadiq Khan urged to reform "corporate and commercial" Pride in London|url=https://www.gaytimes.co.uk/life/sadiq-khan-urged-to-reform-corporate-and-commercial-pride-in-london/|access-date=2021-10-21|website=GAY TIMES|language=en-GB}}</ref> |
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* [[Sir Ian McKellen]] - Sir Ian is an LGBT rights campaigner and is a founding member of [[Stonewall]]. |
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== Pride London == |
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* [[Dr Christian Jessen]] - He is ambassador for the Pride London campaign "Health and Wellbeing" |
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From 2004 to 2012, Pride London was the charity that organised and supported the operation of the annual pride celebrations in London. |
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=== WorldPride London 2012 === |
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* [[Lord Waheed Alli]] |
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At an October 2008 conference in Vancouver, [[InterPride]] accepted a bid from Pride London to host WorldPride 2012. This was to coincide with the [[2012 Summer Olympics|London Olympic]] and [[2012 Summer Paralympics|Paralympic Games]]<ref>{{cite web | title=London wins World Pride event in 2012 | website=insidethegames.biz | date=24 August 2009 | url=https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/2822/london-wins-world-pride-event-in-2012 | ref={{sfnref | insidethegames.biz | 2009}} | access-date=15 July 2024}}</ref> and during the anticipated year-long celebrations of [[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|The Queen's]] [[Diamond Jubilee]]. Pride London planned a parade with floats, a large performance area in [[Trafalgar Square]] with street parties in Golden Square and [[Soho]].<ref>{{cite web | last=Chinardet | first=Nicolas | title=World Pride 2012 In Trouble | website=Londonist | date=5 July 2012 | url=https://londonist.com/2012/07/world-pride-2012-in-trouble | access-date=15 July 2024}}</ref> |
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However, a major sponsor withdrew support leading to the charity being unable to raise the funds necessary.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.london.gov.uk/LLDC/documents/s18234/Minutes.rtf?CT=2 |title=GLA Scrutiny Committee minutes |access-date=18 March 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202052542/http://www.london.gov.uk/LLDC/documents/s18234/Minutes.rtf?CT=2 |archive-date=2 February 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Consequently, the entertainment and stages were all cut, and licence applications for street parties in Soho withdrawn. Instead, the event plans included a Pride Walk (without floats or vehicles), and a scaled-back rally in [[Trafalgar Square]]. On 5 July, the [[Metropolitan Police]] issued a licence regulations notice to all venues in Soho, reminding them that Pride London now has no licence for street events in the Soho area, and therefore venues should treat WorldPride as "any normal day".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://172430notohatecrime.wordpress.com/2012/07/05/police-issue-license-regulations-notice-to-soho-venues/ |title=Police issue license regulations notice to Soho venues | 17-24-30 no to hate crime campaign |publisher=172430notohatecrime.wordpress.com |date=5 July 2012 |access-date=5 March 2013}}</ref> |
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* [[Rhona Cameron]] - Cameron is also a Patron of LGBT Youth Scotland |
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This led to the closure of the Pride London charity in the days which followed the 2012 event. Its successor, London LGBT+ Community Pride, was formed in October 2012.{{citation needed|date=May 2021}} |
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* [[Michael Cashman]] |
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=== Controversy === |
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* [[Naechanè Romeo]] has been a strong and influential icon through out the LGBT and BLGBT community. |
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[[For-profit corporation|Business organisations]] running London Pride have come under criticism from [[Socialism and LGBT rights|socialists within the LGBT community]]. For instance, Hannah Dee argues that it has reached "the point that London Pride – once a militant demonstration in commemoration of the Stonewall riots – has become a corporate-sponsored event far removed from any challenge to the ongoing injustices that we [the LGBT community] face".<ref>Dee, Hannah (2010). ''The Red in the Rainbow: Sexuality, Socialism & LGBT Liberation''. Bloomsbury, London: Bookmarks Publications. Page 08-09.</ref>[[File:Pride London 2011 - 063.jpg|thumb|At Pride London 2011, a marcher carrying a Socialist Worker Party placard|alt=|none]] |
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[[File:pridelondonparadeandflag.jpg|thumb|Pride London March 2008, the 100 m rainbow flag|alt=|none]] |
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== Awards and nominations == |
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* [[Stephen Fry]] |
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{| class="wikitable" width="100%" |
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|- |
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! Year !! Association !! Category !! Nominee(s) !! Result |
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|- |
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|rowspan="1"|2017 || rowspan="1"| Diversity in Media Awards || Marketing Campaign of the Year || ''Love Happens Here'' || {{nom}} |
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|} |
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== See also == |
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* [[Wayne Sleep]] |
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{{Portal|LGBTQ|Transgender}} |
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* [[Gay Liberation Front]] |
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* [[LGBT culture in London]] |
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== References == |
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* [[Lord Chris Smith]] - The first MP to acknowledge that he is HIV positive. |
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=== Footnotes === |
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* [[Clare Summerskill]] |
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{{Reflist |
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|refs= |
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<!-- <ref name="Tom Harper Peter Dominiczak">{{cite web|author=Tom Harper Peter Dominiczak |url=http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/londons-big-gay-pride-party-under-threat-in-cash-dispute-7888377.html?origin=internalSearch |title=London's big gay pride party under threat in cash dispute – London – News – London Evening Standard |publisher=Standard.co.uk |date=26 June 2012 |access-date=5 March 2013}}</ref> --> |
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}} |
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=== Sources === |
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* [[Peter Tatchell]] - Peter is one of the most prominent campaigners for LGBT and human rights, democracy and global justice generally. |
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==Controversy== |
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[[File:Pride London 2011 - 063.jpg|thumb|right|At Pride London 2011, a marcher carrying a Socialist Worker Party placard.]] |
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London Pride, has come under criticism from [[Socialism and LGBT rights|socialists within the LGBT community]], for instance, Hannah Dee argues that it has reached "the point that London Pride - once a militant demonstration in commemoration of the Stonewall riots - has become a corporate-sponsored event far removed from any challenge to the ongoing injusticies that we [the LGBT community] face."<ref>Dee, Hannah (2010). ''The Red in the Rainbow: Sexuality, Socialism & LGBT Liberation''. Bloomsbury, London: Bookmarks Publications. Page 08-09.</ref> |
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==See also== |
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{{Portal|LGBT}} |
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*[[Gay pride]] |
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*[[Pride parade]] |
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*[[Gay Liberation Front]] |
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==Footnotes== |
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{{Reflist}} |
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==References== |
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<!--Sources referenced in the text only--> |
<!--Sources referenced in the text only--> |
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*{{citation|last=Walton|first=Tony|title=Out of the Shadows|year=2010|publisher=Bona Street Press|isbn= |
* {{citation|last=Walton|first=Tony|title=Out of the Shadows|year=2010|publisher=Bona Street Press|isbn=978-0-9566091-0-6}} |
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==External links== |
== External links == |
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{{Commons category|Pride London}} |
{{Commons category|Pride in London}} |
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* {{Official website| |
* {{Official website|https://prideinlondon.org/}} |
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* [ |
* [https://www.visitlondon.com/things-to-do/event/25685785-pride-in-london Pride 2018] at VisitLondon |
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{{LGBTQ}} |
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* [http://scene-out.com/gallery/showgallery.php?cat=1032 Scene-Out Pride London 2007 photos] |
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* [http://www.knittingcircle.org.uk/pridehistory.html The Knitting Circle: Pride history] |
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* [http://www.stonewall.org.uk/information_bank/prides_and_mardi_gras/default.asp Listing of UK Gay Pride events] |
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* [http://www.outburstuk.org/photos B.M.E. at Pride London] |
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* [http://www.lgso.org.uk London Gay Symphony Orchestra] |
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* [http://lsq.tv/red-carpet/525/localfile/0/Pride-Parade-London-2010.html Pride 2010 Video 38m 56s] |
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{{LGBT topics in the United Kingdom}} |
{{LGBT topics in the United Kingdom}} |
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{{Pride parades}} |
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[[Category:LGBT events in the United Kingdom]] |
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[[Category:LGBT-related Internet forums]] |
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[[Category:LGBT organisations in the United Kingdom]] |
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[[Category:Annual events in London]] |
[[Category:Annual events in London]] |
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[[Category:LGBTQ culture in London]] |
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[[tr:Pride London]] |
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[[Category:Parades in London]] |
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[[Category:Pride parades in England]] |
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[[Category:Summer events in England]] |
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[[Category:1972 establishments in England]] |
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Latest revision as of 06:27, 29 September 2024
 Pride in London Logo | |
| Company type | Community Interest Company |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1972 |
| Headquarters | City of London |
Area served | London, Greater London |
| Revenue | £1.4m |
Number of employees | 15 |
| Parent | LONDON LGBT COMMUNITY PRIDE C.I.C. |
| Website | https://prideinlondon.org |
| Part of a series on |
| LGBTQ rights in the United Kingdom |
|---|
 |
| By location |
|
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| Policy aspects |
| Legislation |
| Culture |
| Organisations |
| History |
Pride in London is an annual LGBT pride festival and pride parade held each summer in London, England. The event, which was formerly run by Pride London, is sometimes referred to as London Pride.
Pride in London celebrates the diversity of the LGBT communities with the colourful Pride in London Parade, as well as free festivity events that take place in Trafalgar Square. This event brings together people of all genders, ethnicities, sexualities, and races.[1]
One of the longest running pride festivals in the country and the largest, Pride in London boasts an estimated 30,000 participants[2] and attracts an estimated 1.5 million visitors.[3] The festival's events and location within London vary every year, however the parade is the only annual event to close London's Oxford Street.
History
[edit]
Pride has been organised by several organisations since the first official UK Gay Pride Rally which was held in London on 1 July 1972 (chosen as the nearest Saturday to the anniversary of the Stonewall riots of 1969) with approximately 200 participants.[4][5][6] The first public event took place in November 1970 with up to 150 men walking through Highbury Fields in North London.[7] In 1971 the GLF youth group organised an age of consent rally in London.[8]
In 1981, the usual Pride march and rally was not held in London, decamping to Huddersfield instead as an act of solidarity with the Yorkshire gay community who claimed that West Yorkshire Police were harassing them by repeatedly raiding the Gemini Club, a leading nightclub in the North of England at the time.
In 1985 representatives from mining groups joined the Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners group (LGSM) on the march. This was in recognition of the support given to striking miners by LGSM.
The controversy of Section 28 from 1988 led to numbers increasing on the march in protest.
Since 1983 the march was called "Lesbian and Gay Pride" and by the 1990s it had become more of a carnival event, with large park gatherings and a fair after the marches.[7] For 1996, following a vote by the members of the Pride Trust, the event was renamed "Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride" and became the largest free music festival in Europe.
In 1992, London was selected to hold the first Europride with attendance put at 100,000;[9] London again held Europride in 2006 with an estimated 600,000 participants.
In 1998, the Pride Trust became insolvent and no event was organised that year, it was believed by some that the decision to make it a ticket only event played a role in the 1998 event not happening.[10]
For the next few years, another commercial organisation ran what it called 'London Mardi Gras' before it failed to pay its bill for the use of Hyde Park and was unable to run any more events without clearing that debt.
'Pride London' was formed in 2004, since then a political rally in Trafalgar Square has been held straight after the parade, and more recently Pride London has organised several other events in the centre of London on Pride Day including the Big Gay Out music festival in Finsbury Park in 2004, and in 2006 'Drag Idol' in Leicester Square, a women's stage in Soho and a party in Soho Square.[11]
In 2004, it was awarded registered charity status.
The 2012 event was WorldPride,[12] though this was to be the last event organised by Pride London.
In late 2012, a group of individuals from within the LGBT community formed London LGBT+ Community Pride, a registered community interest company, and the company organised the Pride in London festival and parade in 2013. The organisation has been awarded a contract to organise Pride in London for five years by the Greater London Authority, together with funding of £500,000 over five years.
The first International Asexual Conference was held at the 2012 World Pride in London.[13]
Recent events
[edit]2022 – #AllOurPride
[edit]After two years of cancelled events due to COVID-19 restrictions, The 2022 parade occurred on 2 July 2022. 2022 marked the 50th anniversary of the inaugural Pride march within London organised by the Gay Liberation Front in 1972. The 2022 parade was led by members of the GLF who had attended the 1972 parade.[14][15]
2021 (Cancelled)
[edit]On 26 February 2021, it was announced that Pride in London will be going ahead on the weekend of 11 September 2021.[16]
In August 2021, the event was cancelled in full due to COVID-19, stating that final risk assessments would not allow the parade to be held. This is despite the lifting of most COVID-19 restrictions in England.[17][18]
2020 – #YouMeUsWe (Cancelled)
[edit]The 2020 parade was scheduled for 27 June 2020. In March 2020, it was postponed, with no new date announced, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, Gay rights activists from Clapham arranged a gathering on Clapham Common to celebrate Pride 2020. This gathering turned into a large party that was penned by BBC News as an illegal rave and was shut down by police at 11pm. During the day there were pop-up performances, temporary tattoos, sing alongs and rainbow flags. There were no arrests.[19]
2019 – #PrideJubilee
[edit]The 2019 parade occurred on 6 July.[20] Following on from the 2018 anti-transgender protest, the organisation has committed to enhancing security for the event.[21]
The official London Pride 2019 song is Dance Like Nobody's watching by Finnish singer Saara Aalto.[22]
2018 – #PrideMatters
[edit]Pride in London ran its 2018 festival from 9 June until 7 July. The parade happened on 7 July consisting of around 30,000 participants, 500 groups and over 1 million attendees to the event. The event saw 4 stages hosted in Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square and Soho.[23] The #PrideMatters theme followed on from a piece of research Pride in London did alongside YouGov with a nationwide consultation. The point of the theme was to show the discrimination the LGBT community continues to face on a daily basis, including hate crime and the requirement for continued social movement in support of LGBT rights and equality.[24]
Anti-transgender protest controversy
[edit]During the 2018 Pride London, eight anti-trans activists carrying banners claiming "transactivism erases lesbians" took the lead of the demonstration without authorisation. They were quickly criticised by numerous LGBT organisations. The organisers of Pride London were also criticised for not having taken measures to remove the trans-exclusionary activists from the march.[25]
2017 – #LoveHappensHere
[edit]
2017 marked the 45th year of pride marches in London. The 2017 parade happened on 8 July and saw over 26,000 participants and around 300 groups. Following the London Bridge terror attacks, the parade was launched by members of the emergency services.[26] The #LoveHappensHere campaign came in two parts, with the first phase drawing attention to stories of anti-LGBT hate crime and the second phase in which a new set of stories is released focused on positive LGBT relationships and events within the London.[27]
Following the 2017 event, Pride in London's community advisory board released a report heavily criticising the organisation for, amongst other items, a lack of attention to the bisexual and transgender part of the community as well as a breakdown in communication with UK Black Pride.[28][29] Pride in London responded to the report in a press release where they expressed concern over the report's accuracy and balance.[30]
2016 – #NoFilter
[edit]In 2016, the festival ran for over two weeks, from 10 June to 26 June with the parade being on 25 June. In 2016, the parade route changed, starting from Portland Place and then heading down through Regent Street, Oxford Circus, Waterloo Place, Trafalgar Square and then dispersing in Whitehall.[31] Up to one million people were expected to attend and the parade consisted over nearly 300 groups.
There was heightened security put in place for this event as the Orlando nightclub shooting had occurred earlier in the month. Following the attack, Pride in London reported a surge in support and said "it will be a celebration and commemoration. So many people have got in touch to say that they want to show their support after Orlando." A minute's silence was observed in remembrance.[32][33]
2015 – #PrideHeroes
[edit]In 2015, the celebrations ran from 21 to 28 June, with the parade on the 27th; the day after same sex marriage became legalised nationwide in the United States. The theme "Pride Heroes" was used to celebrate LGBT figures of the day and throughout history including computer scientist Alan Turing[34] and a gay sports club The King's Cross Steelers.[35]
There was controversy over the decision taken by Pride in London to disallow the UK Independence Party (UKIP)'s entry into the parade. Pride in London said, "This decision has been made after careful consultation in order to protect participants and ensure the event passes off safely and in the right spirit, it has not been made on a political basis".[36] Despite the ban, UKIP supporters joined the parade with a banner of "Some gays are UKIP, get over it!", a reference to the continuing Stonewall "Get Over It" campaign.[37]
2014 – #FreedomTo
[edit]The pride week in 2014 ran from 22 to 29 June.[38] The event took place in the months following the implementation of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples).[39] The theme #FreedomTo was designed to be open to interpretation and inclusive of many possibilities, from "freedom to marry" to "freedom to be out on the pitch for gay footballers".[40] A social media where people were asked to submit what #FreedomTo meant to them using an image of themselves with their message formed part of the first Pride in London advertising campaign. Celebrities and members of the LGBT community were also shown on adverts on the London Underground and London buses. The advertising campaign ran for 2 weeks prior to Pride on 28 June 2014.
-
#FreedomTo Image 1 -
#FreedomTo Image 2 -
#FreedomTo campaign on Digital Escalator Panels on London Underground -
FreedomTo Campaign on the side of London Buses (showing Ben Cohen)
2013 – Love (and Marriage)
[edit]After a bidding process organised by the Mayor of London in October 2012,[41] the newly formed London LGBT+ Community Pride was awarded a five-year contract and a grant worth £650,000 in January to deliver the annual pride celebrations within London.[42] The parade ran from Baker Street to Whitehall via Trafalgar Square. Around 150 groups marched within the parade.[43] The theme "Love (and Marriage)" was chosen to coincide with MPs considering the Equal Marriage Bill.
London LGBT+ Community Pride
[edit] | This section needs to be updated. (November 2020) |
London LGBT+ Community Pride was formed in August 2012 as a Community Interest Company (CIC) to deliver Pride in London. It was founded as such so that any surplus generated can only be reinvested in Pride in London events or distributed as grants to LGBT community groups. The current CEO is Christopher Joell-Deshields and the Board of Directors are Dan O'Gorman, Asad Shaykh, Rebecca Paisis and Leon Collins.
In addition to the Board, the organisation has a Community Advisory Board which was established as an advisory and scrutiny body to help meet its commitment to openness and transparency, to advise on questions of inclusivity and to act as a source of guidance on governance and operational issues that may arise.
Volunteers
[edit]![[icon]](/enwiki/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (March 2019) |
Pride also has over 200 core volunteers who work throughout the year on organising Pride. Pride work throughout the year to recruit volunteers to help steward Pride day. In 2019 Pride in London recruited over 1,000 volunteers to work on 28 June 2014.[44] This was the largest volunteer team Pride has ever had.
Pride in London sponsors
[edit]The headline sponsor for Pride in London in 2019 were Tesco. Other sponsors have included Barclays Bank, ASDA, CitiBank, Fuller's Brewery the brewer of London Pride (beer),[45] Prudential and SAB Miller. The event is also supported by Mayor Of London.
DIVA Magazine is a long-running sponsor of the Women's Stage in Leicester Square.
Controversy
[edit]In 2018, the parade was led by an anti-trans organisation who forced their way into the parade.[46] This was widely condemned by LGBT organisations and community.[47] The organisation continued to retain Martina Navratilova as a patron after commenting that the inclusion of transgender inclusion in sport is "insane and cheating".[48] London Trans+ Pride, a separate pride march advocating for transgender rights, was founded in 2019 in response to the events of Pride in London 2018.
During March 2021 one of the most senior volunteers, the Director of Communications, Rhammel Afflick resigned in what they described as "distinct disregard for black and brown LGBT+ communities over a period of years".[49][50] On 18 March 2021 the entire Pride in London Community Advisory Board (CAB) resigned alleging both a culture of bullying and a hostile environment for people of colour. They cited "the increasing preoccupation at Pride in London with managing the public relations concerns of its leadership, at the cost of supporting its Black and POC volunteers or community members".[51][52][53][54] Throughout 2021 sponsors withdrew from the event based on this controversy[55]
In October 2021 fourteen leading voices of the community wrote an open letter to the Mayor of London, who had previously called the organisation "a mess" and in need of a "reset and refresh how Pride in London is organised".[56] The letter asked for intervention in the delivery of the event, including an investigation into bullying of volunteers, that directors make available a register of interests, and that the organisation engaged with the community.[57][58]
Pride London
[edit]From 2004 to 2012, Pride London was the charity that organised and supported the operation of the annual pride celebrations in London.
WorldPride London 2012
[edit]At an October 2008 conference in Vancouver, InterPride accepted a bid from Pride London to host WorldPride 2012. This was to coincide with the London Olympic and Paralympic Games[59] and during the anticipated year-long celebrations of The Queen's Diamond Jubilee. Pride London planned a parade with floats, a large performance area in Trafalgar Square with street parties in Golden Square and Soho.[60]
However, a major sponsor withdrew support leading to the charity being unable to raise the funds necessary.[61] Consequently, the entertainment and stages were all cut, and licence applications for street parties in Soho withdrawn. Instead, the event plans included a Pride Walk (without floats or vehicles), and a scaled-back rally in Trafalgar Square. On 5 July, the Metropolitan Police issued a licence regulations notice to all venues in Soho, reminding them that Pride London now has no licence for street events in the Soho area, and therefore venues should treat WorldPride as "any normal day".[62]
This led to the closure of the Pride London charity in the days which followed the 2012 event. Its successor, London LGBT+ Community Pride, was formed in October 2012.[citation needed]
Controversy
[edit]Business organisations running London Pride have come under criticism from socialists within the LGBT community. For instance, Hannah Dee argues that it has reached "the point that London Pride – once a militant demonstration in commemoration of the Stonewall riots – has become a corporate-sponsored event far removed from any challenge to the ongoing injustices that we [the LGBT community] face".[63]
Awards and nominations
[edit]| Year | Association | Category | Nominee(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Diversity in Media Awards | Marketing Campaign of the Year | Love Happens Here | Nominated |
See also
[edit]
References
[edit]Footnotes
[edit]- ^ "Visit London".
- ^ "2023 Parade". Pride in London. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
- ^ "Pride in London: More than a million attend 'biggest ever parade'". BBC News. 2 July 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2023.
- ^ London Pride on lgbthistoryuk.org{{cite web|url=https://lgbthistoryuk.org/wiki/London_Pride
- ^ Out of the Shadows by Tony Walton ISBN 978-0-9566091-0-6 page 61 gives an estimated 200–700 people taking part in the march itself and maybe as many as 1000 in the whole event, including the rally and picnic in Hyde Park
- ^ (Walton 2010, p. 59) Peter Tatchell estimates 700 joined the march itself.
- ^ a b (Walton 2010, p. 61)
- ^ see Courage to be: Organised Gay Youth in England 1967–1990, A history of the London Gay Teenage Group and other lesbian and gay youth groups, by Clifford Williams,was published in October 2021 (The Book Guild)
- ^ Dixon, Norm. "Huge turnout for EuroPride '92". Greenleft.org.au. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
- ^ "Gay Revellers Are Divided By Pride". Independent.co.uk. 20 June 1998.
- ^ "Thousands party at Gay Pride". BBC News. 5 July 2004. Retrieved 5 June 2019.
- ^ "Big Day". Pridelondon.org. Archived from the original on 17 July 2011. Retrieved 23 February 2012.
- ^ Shira Tarrant (19 June 2015). Gender, Sex, and Politics: In the Streets and Between the Sheets in the 21st Century. Taylor & Francis. pp. 278–. ISBN 978-1-317-81475-7.
- ^ "Pride in London: More than a million attend 'biggest ever parade'". BBC News. 2 July 2022. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
- ^ "Dame Kelly Holmes and Emily Sandé join biggest Pride march in London – live". The Independent. 2 July 2022. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
- ^ "Pride in London announces 2021 date". Pride in London. Retrieved 8 March 2021.
- ^ "Pride in London parade cancelled for second year". BBC News. 6 August 2021. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
- ^ Media, P. A. (6 August 2021). "Pride in London cancelled due to Covid compliance challenges". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
- ^ Hunte, Ben (23 March 2020). "Coronavirus postpones London Pride". BBC News. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
- ^ "Date for Pride in London Parade 2019 announced: 6th July 2019". Pride in London. Retrieved 15 March 2019.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Pride in London 2019 to 'enhance' security after anti-trans hijack". PinkNews. 30 November 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
- ^ "Saara Aalto's 'Dance Like Nobody's Watching' is official song for Pride in London 2019". Pride in London. 27 June 2020. Archived from the original on 6 June 2019. Retrieved 24 May 2020.
- ^ "More than one million attend 'most diverse' London Pride parade". Evening Standard. 7 July 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
- ^ "These parade pictures show why Pride still matters today". Evening Standard. 6 July 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
- ^ Josh Gabbatiss (7 July 2018). "London Pride: Anti-trans activists disrupt parade by lying down in the street to protest 'lesbian erasure'". independent.co.uk. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
- ^ "Pride 2017 saw thousands gather in London for its biggest ever parade". Evening Standard. 8 July 2017. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
- ^ "Pride in London and WCRS Celebrate Love in All Its Forms in 'Love Ha | LBBOnline". lbbonline.com. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
- ^ "Pride in London 'should have a bi-focus' after this year's 'bi-erasure', damning new report says". PinkNews. 17 August 2017. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
- ^ "New report slams Pride in London 2017, saying it "failed to grasp the importance of diversity"". Gay Times. 17 August 2017. Retrieved 15 March 2019.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Pride in London response to CAB report". Pride in London. Archived from the original on 17 November 2018. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
- ^ "Everything you need to know about London Pride". Metro. 24 June 2016. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
- ^ "Record numbers join London Pride march amid heightened security". Evening Standard. 25 June 2016. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
- ^ "Pride in London 2016 – in pictures". The Guardian. 25 June 2016. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
- ^ "Tens of thousands are marching through London in the biggest ever gay pride parade". The Independent. 27 June 2015. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
- ^ Pride in London (25 June 2015), Pride Heroes – The King's Cross Steelers | Pride in London 2015, retrieved 15 March 2019
- ^ "Ukip has been banned from Pride in London". The Independent. 6 June 2015. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
- ^ "Ukip supporters 'barge' into Pride in London parade despite being". Evening Standard. 27 June 2015. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
- ^ "Date and theme of Pride in London 2014 announced". PinkNews. 6 December 2013. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
- ^ "Pride in London 2014". GOV.UK. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
- ^ "Record attendance at Pride London". 28 June 2014. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
- ^ "Boris Johnson launches bidding process for capital's Pride event". PinkNews. 24 October 2012. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
- ^ "London: City Hall announces winner of gay pride bid". PinkNews. 18 January 2013. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
- ^ "Thousands in London Pride parade". 29 June 2013. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
- ^ Pride in London Volunteer Management Team
- ^ Fullers Brewery Blog. "Pride Loves Pride". Campaign. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
- ^ "Pride in London sorry after anti-trans protest". BBC News. 8 July 2018. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
- ^ "Transphobia at Pride in London". Stonewall. 8 July 2018. Archived from the original on 22 November 2021. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
- ^ Ennis, Dawn (17 February 2019). "Martina Navratilova on trans athletes: 'Letting men compete as women is unfair'". Outsports. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
- ^ "Why I blew the whistle on racism at Pride". British GQ. 8 September 2021. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
- ^ Loffhagen, Emma (18 March 2021). "For queer people of colour in London, Black Pride is crucial". The Evening Standard. Retrieved 18 March 2021.
- ^ Mohdin, Aamna (18 March 2021). "Entire Pride in London advisory board resigns citing 'hostile environment'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
- ^ "Entire Pride in London Community Advisory Board quits after race row". ITV News. 18 March 2021. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
- ^ Cooney, Rebecca. "Entire Pride in London advisory board quits amid claims of racism, bullying and marginalisation". www.thirdsector.co.uk. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
- ^ "Entire Pride of London advisory board quits and demands Sadiq Khan investigate 'hostile environment'". PinkNews. 18 March 2021. Retrieved 19 March 2021.
- ^ EDITOR (17 March 2021). "DIVA pulls out of Pride In London over racism concerns". DIVA. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
- ^ "Sadiq Khan says Pride in London is a 'mess' which needs an urgent 'reset'". PinkNews. 29 March 2021. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
- ^ "Open letter to Mayor of London urges Pride reform | Peter Tatchell Foundation". www.petertatchellfoundation.org. 20 October 2021. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
- ^ "Sadiq Khan urged to reform "corporate and commercial" Pride in London". GAY TIMES. 20 October 2021. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
- ^ "London wins World Pride event in 2012". insidethegames.biz. 24 August 2009. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
- ^ Chinardet, Nicolas (5 July 2012). "World Pride 2012 In Trouble". Londonist. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
- ^ "GLA Scrutiny Committee minutes". Archived from the original on 2 February 2017. Retrieved 18 March 2016.
- ^ "Police issue license regulations notice to Soho venues | 17-24-30 no to hate crime campaign". 172430notohatecrime.wordpress.com. 5 July 2012. Retrieved 5 March 2013.
- ^ Dee, Hannah (2010). The Red in the Rainbow: Sexuality, Socialism & LGBT Liberation. Bloomsbury, London: Bookmarks Publications. Page 08-09.
Sources
[edit]- Walton, Tony (2010), Out of the Shadows, Bona Street Press, ISBN 978-0-9566091-0-6
External links
[edit]
- Official website
- Pride 2018 at VisitLondon
