More than 1,500,000 to attend ‘unity and Equality’ march at London Pride
London will return to the capital this weekend with more than 1.5m people expected to attend the event which is taking place again after a two-year hiatus.Saturday’s parade will pay homage to the UK’s first Pride March, which was organised by members of the Gay Liberation Front (GLF) and took place on July 1 1972.
The parade, which will kick-off at Hyde Park Corner at midday promises a focus on ‘visibility, unity, and equality for LGBTQ+ people’.More than 30,000 people and nearly 600 community groups will march in the parade with far more expected to line the streets and attend events.In light of the anniversary and ongoing fight for equality, Pride in London has released a short film, tracing the history of the UK movement, its successes and continuing challenges.Called ’50 Seconds of All Our Pride’ the film is a ‘powerful manifesto’ that celebrates the community’s ‘diversity, inclusivity, resilience, and strength’.Created exclusively by people from the LGBTQ+ community, the short film aims to convey the diversity of the community’s experience.To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 videoAt its heart, Pride is a protest and as well as being a celebration of the LGBTQ+ community Pride in London is also using this year’s event to call for action.The volunteer-run organisation is urging the UK government to ban conversion therapy for all LGBTQ+ people, reform the Gender Recognition Act, provide equal protection for LGBTQ+ communities against hate crime and end its hostile environment towards migrants.The organisation is also pushing for a national AIDS memorial to be established that acknowledges the impact of HIV and AIDs on the LGBTQ+ community.
