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LGBT artists decry Supreme Court ruling at rainy London Pride parade

LGBT artists decry Supreme Court ruling at rainy London Pride parade

Glasgow Times2 days ago
Writer Shon Faye and the lead actor in the BBC drama What It Feels Like For A Girl, Ellis Howard, also criticised the judgment.
The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan shouted 'happy pride' and thousands people started to walk through central London, led by a more than a dozen motorcyclists from LGBT groups.
There were shouts for 'trans rights now' as the engines roared and rain started to fall on Saturday afternoon.
American pop singer Chaka Khan is headlining the event that saw around 500 organisations file from Hyde Park Corner, through Piccadilly Circus, and on to Whitehall Place.
Members of the public watch the the Pride in London 2025 parade (Alberto Pezzali/AP)
Former Years And Years singer Alexander told the PA news agency: 'Trans people right now, they need our support and love more than ever, they're being villainised, demonised in the press, by a lot of the media, and trans people they're just like us… they're you, they're me.
'They deserve the same respect, the same rights, the same privileges, same opportunities, and that's why pride is so important this year.'
The solo artist and Eurovision 2024 contestant added: 'There's been a real backlash against DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) policies and that's been going on for years, and I think we're in a bit of a swing, that's going against where we were maybe five years ago.
'We've had the Supreme Court ruling and I feel like a lot of trans people are scared, rightfully scared, they don't understand… what their lives are going to look like.'
In April the Supreme Court ruled the words 'woman' and 'sex' in the Equality Act 2010 refer to a biological woman and biological sex.
Before the march began Shon Faye, author of Love in Exile and The Transgender Issue, said 'we've just seen an unprecedented attack on queer rights and trans rights across the world'.
She told PA: 'For the trans community in particular here in the UK, we've seen an onslaught of misinformation, attacks in the media, and unfortunately the roll back of human rights in the courts.
'I think (pride) is more important than ever – I think a lot of trans people have been made to feel afraid in public space and pride this year is about taking back public space, and showing what we're not going to be silenced, and we're not going to be intimidated.'
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, centre right, with his wife Saadiya Khan, centre left, attend the Pride in London 2025 parade (Alberto Pezzali/AP)
Asked what she hoped would change, Faye said: 'I feel like it's not a one year change deal… movements move in generations, I think what we have to do now is accept the reality of the situation we're in and we have to work together with other groups, within the LGBT community and outside it, to really start forming strong coalitions in order to fight this stuff.
'I think where we're going in the UK, unfortunately this rightward turn is going to continue for some time. The people together are powerful.'
She added: 'I think the reality is what some of these attacks are designed to do is exhaust us… we become very focused and frightened and then sometimes it's easier to retreat in and the reality is we need to do the opposite of that – we need to be willing to work with people who aren't necessarily like us'.
Howard played Paris Lees in the BBC dramatisation of her memoir and, like Alexander and Faye, was supporting trans rights charity Not A Phase at the parade.
He told PA that 'we're in an incredibly precarious political time' and said pride this year is 'more important than ever'.
The actor added: 'I think it's so, so important that we show up as queers, as allies, and we celebrate. Joy is an act of resistance.
'I hope it shows queers of all ages that we stand with you, we are for you, and we love you'.
A giant rainbow flag is displayed during the 2025 Pride Parade in London (Alberto Pezzali/AP)
He added: 'The recent Supreme Court ruling concerns me, the lack of proper tangible support from our Government concerns me, the lack of funding to amazing organisations like Not A Phase really, really concerns me.
'But honestly, I look around, I see stuff like this, I see what grassroots activism can do, and the power that that can have'.
A YouGov poll released ahead of the event found 67% of people in the UK believe the country is inclusive to LGBTQ+ people, and 60% would not welcome a shift towards more negative attitudes.
Simon Blake, chief executive of Stonewall, which commissioned the survey, said despite the findings 'we know many LGBTQ+ people do not feel this in their neighbourhoods and workplaces'.
He added: 'In policy terms, the reality is different too.
'The UK has dropped sharply down the global leaderboard for LGBTQ+ rights.'
This year the UK fell to its lowest-ever ranking for LGBTI human rights, an annual report found.
This was because of the Supreme Court ruling and subsequent UK Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) guidance, said the ILGA-Europe's Rainbow Map, which has run since 2009.
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King to highlight vital bond with France over threats that ‘know no borders'
King to highlight vital bond with France over threats that ‘know no borders'

South Wales Argus

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  • South Wales Argus

King to highlight vital bond with France over threats that ‘know no borders'

Charles and the Queen are set to welcome the French leader and his wife Brigitte to Windsor Castle on Tuesday as Mr Macron begins his three-day state visit to the UK. At a glittering banquet in the historic Berkshire landmark in the evening, the monarch will deliver a speech, highlighting how 'these challenges know no borders: no fortress can protect us against them this time'. The King will deliver a speech at the state banquet in honour of French president Emmanuel Macron (Chris Jackson/PA) But he will tell Mr Macron that Britain and France can help lead the way in confronting threats relating to defence, technology and climate change, saying: 'Our two nations share not only values, but also the tireless determination to act on them in the world.' Charles and Camilla are hosting Mr Macron and the first lady at the historic royal residence. They will be feted with a carriage ride through the town, a ceremonial welcome and the opulent state dinner. Brigitte Macron and the Queen join in with a toast alongside the King and French President Emmanuel Macron at a Palace of Versailles banquet in 2023 (Daniel Leal/PA) The King, in his toast, will reflect on 1,000 years of 'shared history and culture between our two peoples', including many of the royal family's personal connections to France. 'For centuries our citizens have admired each other, amused each other, and imitated each other', he will say, and reveal how he remains 'in awe of France's extraordinary attributes and achievements'. Charles will also hail the Anglo-French partnership as vital amid the many challenges of today, saying: 'Our two countries face a multitude of complex threats, emanating from multiple directions. 'As friends and as allies, we face them together.' The King delivering a speech at the State Banquet at the Palace of Versailles, Paris in 2023 (Daniel Leal/PA) It marks the first state visit to the UK by an EU head of state since Brexit, and will see Mr Macron address parliamentarians in the Palace of Westminster's Royal Gallery and, on Thursday, join a UK-France Summit at Downing Street. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has signalled a 'reset' in relations between the UK and Europe as he looks to heal the wounds caused by the Brexit years. Defence, growth, security, migration and French tactics on tackling small boats will be discussed, with the two leaders expected to dial in to speak to other allied nations who are looking to support any future peace deal in Ukraine. Downing Street said on Monday that the UK's relationship with France was 'key' to dealing with boat crossings, following reports French police officers had used knives to puncture a boat off the coast. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer during a bilateral meeting with Mr Macron at the G7 summit in June (Stefan Rousseau/PA) The Prince and Princess of Wales will also play a role by meeting the president and the French first lady at RAF Northolt on Tuesday morning on behalf of the King and travelling with them to Windsor. Charles and Camilla will formerly greet their guests on a Royal Dais constructed on Datchet Road in Windsor town centre, with the castle in the backdrop as gun salutes sound in nearby Home Park. The King, the Queen, the Waleses and Mr and Mrs Macron will then take a carriage procession through Windsor and along part of the Long Walk which leads to the castle, just as former French president Nicolas Sarkozy did in 2008. Mr Macron's state visit to the UK, from July 8-10, is the first to be hosted at Windsor Castle, rather than Buckingham Palace, in a more than a decade since that of the Irish president Michael D Higgins in 2014. Guests listen during a speech by Queen Elizabeth II in honour of the President of Ireland Michael D Higgins at Windsor Castle in 2014 (Dan Kitwood/PA) State visits, which capitalise on the royals' soft power to strengthen diplomatic ties overseas, will be hosted at Windsor for the next few years while reservicing work continues at the London Palace and starts to affect the state rooms. The last state visit to the UK from France was in March 2008 when the now-disgraced Mr Sarkozy, since convicted of corruption and influence peddling, and his wife Carla Bruni, were the guests of Elizabeth II at Windsor. The arrangements are likely to form the template for US President Donald Trump's high-profile state visit in September, but much will depend on security considerations for the US leader, who survived an assassination attempt last year. A ceremonial welcome will be staged in the castle's quadrangle with Camilla, William, Kate and Mrs Macron watching as the King and Mr Macron inspect the Guard of Honour. The Prince and Princess of Wales will also take part in the state visit (Yui Mok/PA) Lunch will be hosted in the State Dining Room, after which the president and his wife, the King and Queen and members of the royal family will view a special exhibition of items relating to France from the Royal Collection in the Green Drawing and Mrs Macron will also travel to London on Tuesday afternoon to see the Grave of the Unknown Warrior at Westminster Abbey and visit the Palace of Westminster where the French leader will address parliamentarians before meeting opposition leaders at Lancaster House. The King and president will both deliver speeches at the banquet in the medieval St George's Hall, where some 160 guests will be seated at the elaborately decorated 50 metre table, which will run the full length of the vast room. A state visit is being hosted at Windsor Castle for the first time in 11 years (Steve Parsons/PA) Kensington Palace has yet to confirm whether Kate will attend the banquet. The princess opened up about her 'rollercoaster' cancer recovery, its life-changing impact and putting on a 'brave face' last week. The King and Queen paid a state visit to France in September 2023 and enjoy a warm rapport with Mr and Mrs Macron, who will stay in the castle during their trip. Mrs Macron, 72, sparked a storm in May when she was seen pushing her husband's face away with both hands before they disembarked a plane in Vietnam. Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte (Gareth Fuller/PA) The 47-year-old president dismissed the gesture – caught on camera – as horseplay, but it caused a stir in France, with daily Le Parisien newspaper asking: 'Slap or 'squabble'?' The couple, married since 2007, met at the high school where Mr Macron was a student and Brigitte was a married teacher. The visit comes a year after the UK and France celebrated 120 years since the signing of the Entente Cordiale. The Anglo-French agreements in 1904 ushered in improved relations between the two countries which had fought against each other during the Napoleonic Wars.

Eddie Redmayne feeling ‘such pride' as Cabaret marks 1,500th show in London
Eddie Redmayne feeling ‘such pride' as Cabaret marks 1,500th show in London

South Wales Guardian

timean hour ago

  • South Wales Guardian

Eddie Redmayne feeling ‘such pride' as Cabaret marks 1,500th show in London

The Day Of The Jackal star, 43, led the West End revival of the show, alongside Irish actress Jessie Buckley, in 2021 and won an Olivier for his role as the Emcee, the flamboyant master of ceremonies. 'I feel such pride in what the show is, and having been some part of helping put it together, and I've been lucky enough to come and see almost all the cast who have taken over and really the show in its essence', he told the PA news agency at a special gala night. 'I think our director's version of it is a celebration of the individual, and watching how the show shifts and changes as each actor brings their own entirety of themselves to it has been a real wonder and nothing makes me happier when I'm in London and I see a Cabaret poster go by on a bus, and I know that it's continuing to thrill each season, and kind of reflect what's going on in the world.' The show, which features music from composer John Kander, is set in Berlin during the jazz age as the Nazis rise to power. Set in the seedy Kit Kat Club, which acts as a safe space for outsiders, the story explores themes of sexuality and fascism. Redmayne told PA: 'Each time Cabaret has ever been put on, it's felt resonant, and it just, sadly, feels more and more resonant daily, and as John (Kander) says, he hopes one day it won't. A post shared by Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club (@kitkatclubldn) 'But, in the meantime, sort of reflecting learning from our history is pretty important, but doing so in this joyful, bacchanalian, sort of, celebration of the individual is special.' Since Redmayne's performance, a number of other actors have played the Emcee at the Playhouse Theatre including Bad Education actor Layton Williams, Olivier Award-winning actor Luke Treadaway, US star Billy Porter, and It's A Sin actor, Callum Scott Howells. Sex Education star Aimee Lou Wood, model Cara Delevingne, musical theatre star Marisha Wallace, and musician Self Esteem are among those who have played Sally Bowles. The musical theatre production is partly based on Christopher Isherwood's 1939 novel Goodbye to Berlin which tells of the glamour, danger, excess and repression of Berlin society. Bridgerton actress Hannah Dodd is currently playing Sally Bowles while TikTok star Rob Madge is starring as the Emcee. Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club is currently booking until Saturday March 28 2026.

King to highlight vital bond with France over threats that ‘know no borders'
King to highlight vital bond with France over threats that ‘know no borders'

Glasgow Times

timean hour ago

  • Glasgow Times

King to highlight vital bond with France over threats that ‘know no borders'

Charles and the Queen are set to welcome the French leader and his wife Brigitte to Windsor Castle on Tuesday as Mr Macron begins his three-day state visit to the UK. At a glittering banquet in the historic Berkshire landmark in the evening, the monarch will deliver a speech, highlighting how 'these challenges know no borders: no fortress can protect us against them this time'. The King will deliver a speech at the state banquet in honour of French president Emmanuel Macron (Chris Jackson/PA) But he will tell Mr Macron that Britain and France can help lead the way in confronting threats relating to defence, technology and climate change, saying: 'Our two nations share not only values, but also the tireless determination to act on them in the world.' Charles and Camilla are hosting Mr Macron and the first lady at the historic royal residence. They will be feted with a carriage ride through the town, a ceremonial welcome and the opulent state dinner. Brigitte Macron and the Queen join in with a toast alongside the King and French President Emmanuel Macron at a Palace of Versailles banquet in 2023 (Daniel Leal/PA) The King, in his toast, will reflect on 1,000 years of 'shared history and culture between our two peoples', including many of the royal family's personal connections to France. 'For centuries our citizens have admired each other, amused each other, and imitated each other', he will say, and reveal how he remains 'in awe of France's extraordinary attributes and achievements'. Charles will also hail the Anglo-French partnership as vital amid the many challenges of today, saying: 'Our two countries face a multitude of complex threats, emanating from multiple directions. 'As friends and as allies, we face them together.' The King delivering a speech at the State Banquet at the Palace of Versailles, Paris in 2023 (Daniel Leal/PA) It marks the first state visit to the UK by an EU head of state since Brexit, and will see Mr Macron address parliamentarians in the Palace of Westminster's Royal Gallery and, on Thursday, join a UK-France Summit at Downing Street. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has signalled a 'reset' in relations between the UK and Europe as he looks to heal the wounds caused by the Brexit years. Defence, growth, security, migration and French tactics on tackling small boats will be discussed, with the two leaders expected to dial in to speak to other allied nations who are looking to support any future peace deal in Ukraine. Downing Street said on Monday that the UK's relationship with France was 'key' to dealing with boat crossings, following reports French police officers had used knives to puncture a boat off the coast. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer during a bilateral meeting with Mr Macron at the G7 summit in June (Stefan Rousseau/PA) The Prince and Princess of Wales will also play a role by meeting the president and the French first lady at RAF Northolt on Tuesday morning on behalf of the King and travelling with them to Windsor. Charles and Camilla will formerly greet their guests on a Royal Dais constructed on Datchet Road in Windsor town centre, with the castle in the backdrop as gun salutes sound in nearby Home Park. The King, the Queen, the Waleses and Mr and Mrs Macron will then take a carriage procession through Windsor and along part of the Long Walk which leads to the castle, just as former French president Nicolas Sarkozy did in 2008. Mr Macron's state visit to the UK, from July 8-10, is the first to be hosted at Windsor Castle, rather than Buckingham Palace, in a more than a decade since that of the Irish president Michael D Higgins in 2014. Guests listen during a speech by Queen Elizabeth II in honour of the President of Ireland Michael D Higgins at Windsor Castle in 2014 (Dan Kitwood/PA) State visits, which capitalise on the royals' soft power to strengthen diplomatic ties overseas, will be hosted at Windsor for the next few years while reservicing work continues at the London Palace and starts to affect the state rooms. The last state visit to the UK from France was in March 2008 when the now-disgraced Mr Sarkozy, since convicted of corruption and influence peddling, and his wife Carla Bruni, were the guests of Elizabeth II at Windsor. The arrangements are likely to form the template for US President Donald Trump's high-profile state visit in September, but much will depend on security considerations for the US leader, who survived an assassination attempt last year. A ceremonial welcome will be staged in the castle's quadrangle with Camilla, William, Kate and Mrs Macron watching as the King and Mr Macron inspect the Guard of Honour. The Prince and Princess of Wales will also take part in the state visit (Yui Mok/PA) Lunch will be hosted in the State Dining Room, after which the president and his wife, the King and Queen and members of the royal family will view a special exhibition of items relating to France from the Royal Collection in the Green Drawing and Mrs Macron will also travel to London on Tuesday afternoon to see the Grave of the Unknown Warrior at Westminster Abbey and visit the Palace of Westminster where the French leader will address parliamentarians before meeting opposition leaders at Lancaster House. The King and president will both deliver speeches at the banquet in the medieval St George's Hall, where some 160 guests will be seated at the elaborately decorated 50 metre table, which will run the full length of the vast room. A state visit is being hosted at Windsor Castle for the first time in 11 years (Steve Parsons/PA) Kensington Palace has yet to confirm whether Kate will attend the banquet. The princess opened up about her 'rollercoaster' cancer recovery, its life-changing impact and putting on a 'brave face' last week. The King and Queen paid a state visit to France in September 2023 and enjoy a warm rapport with Mr and Mrs Macron, who will stay in the castle during their trip. Mrs Macron, 72, sparked a storm in May when she was seen pushing her husband's face away with both hands before they disembarked a plane in Vietnam. Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte (Gareth Fuller/PA) The 47-year-old president dismissed the gesture – caught on camera – as horseplay, but it caused a stir in France, with daily Le Parisien newspaper asking: 'Slap or 'squabble'?' The couple, married since 2007, met at the high school where Mr Macron was a student and Brigitte was a married teacher. The visit comes a year after the UK and France celebrated 120 years since the signing of the Entente Cordiale. The Anglo-French agreements in 1904 ushered in improved relations between the two countries which had fought against each other during the Napoleonic Wars.

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