Latest news with #PrideinLondon
New Indian Express
05-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Thousands show support for trans people at Pride in London
LONDON: Amid a sea of rainbow flags and sequined costumes, hundreds of thousands joined Pride in London on Saturday, showing their support for transgender people in the wake of a recent UK court ruling. They included Chase, 23, who cheered as dancers on floats paraded through Piccadilly Circus. As a transgender man, Chase came to let the government know that the community was "still here", even if it is "at the bottom of the barrel" at the moment. Like thousands of others in the United Kingdom, Chase will no longer be allowed to use certain single-sex spaces -- men's toilets and changing rooms in this case -- following the publication of new guidelines by the UK's equality regulator (EHRC) at the end of April. The guidelines were issued days after the Supreme Court ruled that the legal definition of a woman is based on biological sex, impacting transgender people's access to hospitals and sports clubs. The new rules "invalidate us completely", said Chase, face covered in glitter and bedecked in a transgender flag, adding that the guidelines were "just the beginning" of a tougher approach against their community. This edition of Pride in London should therefore serve to "show solidarity with the trans community", said Jake Hills, the event's communications head. The transgender community has been "scapegoated for so many problems in this country", lamented Dominic, a 26-year-old linguist who came from Reading, west London, to attend the gathering. "A lot of people are going out their way to show support for the trans community. And I think we should," he added. Like last year, organisers expected nearly 1.5 million people to attend the event. Rising intolerance Political parties of all stripes have been banned from this year's Pride parades in London, Birmingham, Brighton and Manchester, due to their "refusal to platform those who have not protected our rights". Shortly after the Supreme Court's ruling, Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer refused to repeat statements made in 2022, when he said that "transgender women are women". "We are very disappointed with the backsliding on LGBTQ+ rights that's currently taking place in the UK. We think there is a rising tide of intolerance, diminishing government support in the UK for our trans siblings," said Hills. Many in the parade were draped in the white, blue, and pastel pink transgender flag, chanting: "What do we want? Trans rights! When do we want it? Now!" They hope that the EHRC will amend its guidelines before passing them on to the government. Concerns about the rights of LGBT+ people have grown in several countries in recent months, notably in the United States and Hungary, where 200,000 people marched last weekend despite a ban by Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Claire Bennet, a 56-year-old property manager, accompanied her 13-year-old transgender son Ash Tillotson to the parade. Tillotson admitted being a little nervous and overwhelmed "surrounded by so many queer people" in the festive atmosphere of Piccadilly Circus. "Gay and queer groups in England are very strong and I think they will continue to be very strong... and that we can overcome that," Tillotson said.
Powys County Times
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Powys County Times
LGBT artists decry Supreme Court ruling at rainy London Pride parade
LGBT artists including singer and actor Olly Alexander decried the Supreme Court ruling on the definition of a woman and expressed fears trans people are being 'villainised more than ever' at a rainy Pride in London parade. 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 Sir 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. 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.' 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'. 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'. Sir Sadiq said: 'It was an honour and a privilege to again walk at the front of London's world-famous Pride parade as huge crowds of Londoners and visitors joined together for an incredible show of love, unity and solidarity with our LGBTQI+ communities. 'The fantastic parade and celebrations across central London have shown once again that our capital is a beacon of inclusivity and diversity. 'This year's event was also a defiant reminder that we must keep fighting for equality and take a stand against those seeking to roll back hard-won rights. 'Together, we sent a powerful message to the world that in London you are free to be whoever you want to be and love whoever you want to love, as we continue to build a better, fairer London for everyone.' 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.
Daily Mirror
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Your guide to London Pride as the annual LGBTQ+ event kicks off this weekend
More than a million people are expected to take part in London's Pride celebrations, attending the iconic parade and watching the dozens of performers across central London Off the back of another dazzling Pride month, the nation's capital is gearing up to host its annual Pride in London festivities, with more than a million expected to take part. The month-long celebration of individuality and Pride will culminate with the parade on Saturday (July 5), although there will be plenty of LGBTQ+ events lined up afterwards. More than 30,000 participants, making up 500 groups, take part in the UK's largest, and most diverse, Pride event. Here's the scoop on everything you need to know ahead of Pride in London 2025: When is Pride in London 2025? Pride in London is taking place on Saturday, July 5, beginning at 3pm. All events, including the parade, will run from 12pm until 8pm. What is the Pride in London parade route? The parade will set off from Green Park, by Hyde Park Corner tube station, before moving along Piccadilly towards Piccadilly Circus station. It will then travel south, down Haymarket, past Trafalgar Square and down Whitehall, before ending outside Big Ben. The event areas include: Trafalgar Square – Main stage Golden Square – The World Stage Leicester Square – LGBTQI, Women and Non-Binary Stage Dean Street – The Cabaret Stage Soho Square – Trans and Non-Binary Stage, with Pride in London Community Market Victoria Embankment Gardens – The Family Area Who is performing at Pride in London? Ain't Nobody star, Chaka Khan will headline this year's celebrations, which will take placed across the aforementioned six stages in central London. Elsewhere, there will be entertainment provided by the juxebox musical Titanique's Lauren Drew, Frankie Grande, brother of Ariana, and RuPaul's Drag Race UK star La Voix. Below is an extended list of performers across each stage: Trafalgar Square Chaka Khan Queenz Durand Bernarr Eurovision 2025 winner JJ La Voix Lauren Drew Frankie Grande Miriana Conte Jay Jay Revlon HERE AND NOW - The Steps Musical Lucky Roy Singh Presents the Queer Asian Takeover Dylan and the Moon The Sing Space Choir Justin Peng The Cocoa Butter Club Anthony Hughes Butch, Please! Dan Devlin Talks from Queerwell Stonewall, Jake and Hannah Graf, and Not a Phase. Leicester Square Kaylee Golding (DJ) girli Miriana Conte Chloe Star Anita B Queen (DJ) CATTY, MABEL (DJ) Redrum Butch, Please! Lazy Violet Queer Edg Don One Smashlyn Monroe Golden Square Amaria BB Keanan Vanity Milan Carter The Bandit Mark-Ashley Dupé (DJ) Nile The Cocoa Butter Club, Reptile B Lexxicon Jay Jay Revlon Don One Thandi Phoenix Kelechi JiGH Shafire (DJ). Dean Street Crip Ladywood Sam Buttery Ghetto Fabulous Lucky Roy Singh Presents the Queer Asian Takeover Dean McCullough's Pop Machine La Voix John Cameron Mitchell Coco Deville Trevor Ashley Viola Adam All & Apple Derrieres Alexandria St Payne Skylar Cister For more stories like this subscribe to our weekly newsletter, The Weekly Gulp, for a curated roundup of trending stories, poignant interviews, and viral lifestyle picks from The Mirror's Audience U35 team delivered straight to your inbox. Soho Square Telisa Geri Love Tobre Trans fashion by Ms A London Bok Brandy X Presents Temptation Kit Green Ebony Rose Dark The Others The DIVAs with Alexa Vox Alexis Gregory with Jane Stevenson The Divine and Andrea Di Giovanni DJ Tasty Tim DJ Princess Julia DJ Kaspa Sarah Savage (Brighton Trans Pride) Alexis Solia (trans Activist) Saba (activist) Kayza Rose (Activist/producer) Lia B (trans Activist) Pippa Dale (LBTQWomen and StockExchange) Daniel Lismore (Artist) Arlene McDermott (StockExchange/Trans In The City) Bell Ribeiro-Addy (MP) Trans Legal Omar Okai (Black British Theatre Awards) Oscar Davies (the UK's first recognised non-binary barrister) Jake and Hannah Graf (Trans is Human) Family Area David Ribi Drag Queen Story Hour Amanda and Rachel An Act from Above Stilt Walking Ava Beau Close Up Magician Andi Dadda and Daddy Joelle D'Fontaine Olly N Pop Taryn Sudding from Cool Mindz How much are tickets to Pride in London? Pride in London is for all with the festival being a free-to-attend, unticketed event. Help us improve our content by completing the survey below. We'd love to hear from you!
Glasgow Times
04-07-2025
- Glasgow Times
London Pride celebrations to have ‘significant policing presence'
The Metropolitan Police said it had been working closely with event organisers and other emergency services 'for many months in preparation for the event'. It added that there would be 'no tolerance of hate crime' at the celebrations. The parade, which will go from Hyde Park Corner to Whitehall Place via Piccadilly, will see hundreds of groups taking part. Among them will be contingents from the emergency services, including the Met, as well as other public bodies. The Met contingent will be made up of officers and staff from the Met LGBT+ Network and allies. The officers, who will not be in uniform, will be off-duty and not part of the policing operation on the day. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Dr Alison Heydari, who is leading the policing operation for Pride in London, said: 'The public can expect to see a significant policing presence in central London. Officers are there to ensure everyone taking part in the celebrations can do so in safety and security. 'Our primary role is to provide a reassuring presence while being able to respond swiftly and effectively to any incidents. 'Pride is a celebration of the LGBT+ community and those attending should be able to do so free from discrimination, abuse or fear. There will be no tolerance of hate crime – we would urge anyone who is a victim of it to speak to an officer immediately so we can take action. 'Any of our officers are able to help and support, but we will also have specialist LGBT+ community liaison officers deployed as part of the policing operation to assist where particular expertise is required. 'The areas around the parade and the various stages will be extremely busy, with Soho in particular likely to be very crowded. Please plan your travel to and from the event in advance, look out for each other and ask for help if you need it. 'As with any large public event, we would urge people attending to be alert and keep their eyes open. If you see something that doesn't look or feel right, please trust your instincts and bring it to the attention of an officer or a steward. In an emergency, always call 999.' The Pride in London celebrations will include a parade and a number of entertainment stages. Seven entertainment stages will be running, at Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square, Golden Square, Soho Square, Dean Street and Victoria Embankment Gardens. Police said pubs and bars across Westminster will be open as usual and are 'expected to be very busy'.
Rhyl Journal
04-07-2025
- Rhyl Journal
London Pride celebrations to have ‘significant policing presence'
The Metropolitan Police said it had been working closely with event organisers and other emergency services 'for many months in preparation for the event'. It added that there would be 'no tolerance of hate crime' at the celebrations. The parade, which will go from Hyde Park Corner to Whitehall Place via Piccadilly, will see hundreds of groups taking part. Among them will be contingents from the emergency services, including the Met, as well as other public bodies. The Met contingent will be made up of officers and staff from the Met LGBT+ Network and allies. The officers, who will not be in uniform, will be off-duty and not part of the policing operation on the day. Deputy Assistant Commissioner Dr Alison Heydari, who is leading the policing operation for Pride in London, said: 'The public can expect to see a significant policing presence in central London. Officers are there to ensure everyone taking part in the celebrations can do so in safety and security. 'Our primary role is to provide a reassuring presence while being able to respond swiftly and effectively to any incidents. 'Pride is a celebration of the LGBT+ community and those attending should be able to do so free from discrimination, abuse or fear. There will be no tolerance of hate crime – we would urge anyone who is a victim of it to speak to an officer immediately so we can take action. 'Any of our officers are able to help and support, but we will also have specialist LGBT+ community liaison officers deployed as part of the policing operation to assist where particular expertise is required. 'The areas around the parade and the various stages will be extremely busy, with Soho in particular likely to be very crowded. Please plan your travel to and from the event in advance, look out for each other and ask for help if you need it. 'As with any large public event, we would urge people attending to be alert and keep their eyes open. If you see something that doesn't look or feel right, please trust your instincts and bring it to the attention of an officer or a steward. In an emergency, always call 999.' The Pride in London celebrations will include a parade and a number of entertainment stages. Seven entertainment stages will be running, at Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square, Golden Square, Soho Square, Dean Street and Victoria Embankment Gardens. Police said pubs and bars across Westminster will be open as usual and are 'expected to be very busy'.
