A mass of technicolour-clad festival goers and volunteers from diverse backgrounds, genders and sexualities descended on Soho & Piccadilly for London’s annual Pride festival on the first weekend in July.
Pride in London began on 1 July 1972, when crowds of a few hundred gathered in Trafalgar Square to march to Hyde Park calling for equality in the legal system, job markets, and an end to bigotry and media hostility.
Now, 53 years on, the sentiment remains, and what was a relatively small gathering now sees more than 500 community groups march, with 35,000 taking part.
Frankie, co-founder of Big Bad Gays, an online community for UK-based LGBTQ+ women and non-binary people over 21, said: “That’s what I love about Pride: no matter who you are, you can come here, be proud of who you are, be proud of your lifestyle and who you’re with and your family and your journey, and just celebrate that.”
With support from the Mayor of London and now boasting six separate stages across central London, Pride has become a fixture in the capital, and is showing no signs of diminishing popularity.
Watch the video below for more from this year’s event.
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