The London Pride parade is widely known as one of the biggest, and best, annual celebrations of the LGBTQ+ community; and this year was no exception. As always, the electric atmosphere of this years event was characterised by the plethora of imaginative costumes, colourful floats and music, as well as an abundance of rainbow flags as far as the eye could see.
However, at its core, this was an exciting gathering of a diverse community, and a celebration of the strong individuality within it.
The parade itself was one of the largest in Pride’s history, with nearly 30,00 people from 500 organisations taking part in the five hour parade from Portland Place to Trafalgar Square. From the Metropolitan Police Force, to Amnesty International, to Buzzfeed, each organisation helped in their own way to celebrate the spirit of Pride. Alongside the marchers within the parade, it is thought nearly one million spectators lined the streets in order to watch the event.
With the theme for this years Pride being ‘Pride Matters’, it was clear how strongly this message rang true throughout the course of the event. With LGBTQ hate crimes on the rise in London, according to figures from the Metropolitan Police Force, events such as Pride are still incredibly vital to the community. In his speech before opening the Pride parade, London Mayor Sadiq Khan spoke against complacency towards diversity, reiterating that “In London you’re free to be who you are and you’re free to love who you want to love.”
A truly vital and exciting event, Pride once again offered a sense of unity and acceptance both to those within the LGBTQ+ community and those supporting it.
I really wish I could go!!