Dressed in seven-inch metallic silver heels, a shiny gold bodycon dress, flame-shaped glasses and a multitonal fabric like her dragging person Eva More, 18-year-old Noah Colton was ready for the party while tens of thousands of people marched. –And danced– by the capital of Pride in London, the largest LGBTQ + parade in the United Kingdom.
“I’m trying to focus on enjoying it and seeing it as a community meeting where you can be whoever you want,” he said.
Lesbians and gays support the migrant protest at Piccadilly Circus. Photography: Amy Walker / The Guardian
After following the parade for a few hours, the plan for his first Pride was to head to Trafalgar Square to enjoy live music and spend a night of drag in Clapham, south London. “I have more comfortable shoes in my bag,” he admitted.
With the parade led by the Gay Liberation Front, which organized the first protest in the United Kingdom in 1972, the event celebrated its 50th anniversary; it was also the first Pride for two years after a forced break by the Covid.
“It feels amazing to be back, everyone is happy,” said Patricia Rocam, 29, who was accompanied by a Jack Russell in a Pride bandana. “For me it’s about visibility and representation, seeing people like you, it seems like a safe space.
Festival gala at London Pride. Photography: Henry Nicholls / Reuters
“It is both a protest and a celebration. We are here today to celebrate, but that is disconcerting to those who campaigned earlier and it is important to remember that. “
Amber Whiting, 27, watching the parade from Haymarket with her friend Connor Mathews, 29, first attended the Pride in London 10 years ago.
“At the time, I didn’t even know the terminology of bisexuality,” she said. “Over the years, I’ve realized that I’m pansexual, but I still have the stigma of friends who, jokingly, say I’m undecided. Here I feel represented.”
After attending three other annual Pride events, he noted that this year he felt less “commercial,” focusing more on LGBTQ + groups marching together than on branded floats led by minor celebrities.
“He feels older. It seems like everyone here is enjoying it and have missed him; it’s a pleasure to be back,” he said.
Sadiq Khan said Pride in London is about celebrating the progress made, “but also about continuing to campaign and never be complacent”. Photography: Chris J Ratcliffe / Getty Images
While the crowd of young people, dressed in party finery, were unmissable on Saturday, many proud veterans also attended.
Winston Woodfine, 59, dressed in a Nike cap, a Ralph Lauren tracksuit and sneakers, said this year would be a more “subdued” affair for him.
“I used to dress up with friends, but some of them are no longer with us and some have moved,” he said.
But he added that he considered the event itself to be no less significant. “With any birthday, it’s a pleasure to thank you [the campaigners] for what they have done, although they acknowledge that there is still a long way to go. We think of Pride as a great gathering, but there can also be people who feel alone, or just go out, and this is a place where you can meet people or meet support, ”he said.
Metropolitan police uniformed officers did not participate in this year’s parade following investigations that concluded that police failures “probably” contributed to the deaths of young people killed by serial killer Stephen Port. Woodfine described the decision as a “shame.” “It’s important to be inclusive. We need them and they need us, ”he said.
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London Mayor Sadiq Khan said there was still a “danger” to the LGBTQ + community of “discrimination, prejudice and violence” and warned that they were not “complacent”.
He said: “This year is the 50th anniversary of Pride, celebrating this community, celebrating the progress made, but also continuing to campaign and never be complacent.”
London Pride participants get into the spirit of the event. Photography: Henry Nicholls / Reuters
As the event dominated the center of the capital, with floats exploding dance music, groups of passers-by watched from the sidelines.
Adam, 60, an NHS worker, said he and his friend Marcus, 55, who works in construction, had stumbled upon the event while on a day trip. “It’s just fantastic. Everyone is having a good time. I’m from rural Lincolnshire and you wouldn’t see anything like this in a small town,” he said.
Many of those the Observer spoke at the event noted that there was still room for improvement in terms of LGBTQ + rights.
“It’s been great to see that almost all the floats and flags include the trans flag,” said a 25-year-old who didn’t want to give his name. The main thing he had lost from the event, he added, was being able to wear glitter on his face in public.
Rosy, 23, a bisexual student who saw her first Pride Parade, pointed to a group of anti-LGBTQ + Christian protesters across the road. “A little bleak, but it just shows how important it still is,” he said, adding that a gay couple had “spoiled” themselves with defiance in front of them.