Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

More than a million pack London's streets to celebrate 50th anniversary of UK's first Pride parade

London Mayor Sadiq Khan told reporters the event was a celebration of community, unity and progress.

More than a million pack London's streets to celebrate 50th anniversary of UK's first Pride parade

London on Saturday celebrated the 50th anniversary of its first Pride parade, marking half a century of progress in the fight for equality and tolerance but with warnings that more still needs to be done.

Several hundred people took part in the first march on July 1, 1972, walking from Hyde Park Corner to Trafalgar Square, just five years after homosexuality was decriminalised in the UK.

Fifty years on, more than 600 LGBTQ+ groups were among expected crowds of over one million, dancing, singing and riding floats along a similar route to the original protest, in the first Pride since the coronavirus pandemic.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan told reporters the event was a celebration of community, unity and progress.

But he said it was also a reminder of the need to "campaign and never be complacent" and the need for "an open, inclusive, accepting world".

"We saw this time last week an attack in Oslo just hours before that parade, where two people lost their lives and more than 20 were injured," he said.

"So, we've got to be conscious of the fact that there's still a danger to this community of discrimination, bias and violence."

Campaigning
In 1972, "Gay Pride", as it was then known, was a demand for visibility and equality against a backdrop of lingering prejudice, discrimination and fear among many gay men and women about coming out.

In the 1980s, marches became a focal point for campaigning against legislation by prime minister Margaret Thatcher's Conservative government against the "promotion of homosexuality" in schools.

They also helped to raise awareness and support for people with HIV/Aids.

Now, with the rainbow flag of inclusion and tolerance spread ever more widely over the spectrum of human sexuality and gender, Pride in London is more celebration than protest.

But Padraigin Ni Raghillig, president of Dykes on Bikes London, a motorcycle club for gay women, said the event still retained part of its original campaigning spirit.

"It's still important, I think, to at least once a year to be out and about, and to say 'we're here, we're queer, and we're not going shopping'," said Ni Raghillig, astride a Harley Davidson.

Stephen Sanders, 54, attended the parade wearing nothing but an apron and his underwear.

"People ask, 'is Pride still important?' Yes, so very important. Still people today that can't march, that can't be who they are, that are either stoned or killed for it, so Pride is still very important in today's age," he said.

This year's Pride saw warnings for people with monkeypox symptoms to stay away, after public health officials said many cases in the UK were reported among gay and bisexual men.

LGBTQ+ campaign group Stonewall said everyone had a part to play to stop the spread of monkeypox, which is passed through close contact regardless of sexual orientation.

(AFP)

More For You

Police Recover £1M Stolen Jewellery in Hounslow, Owners Sought

The jewellery was largely taken from London’s South Asian community in Hounslow between 2023 and 2024. (Photo: Met Police)

Stolen jewellery worth £1m recovered in Hounslow, police seek owners

POLICE are seeking to reunite stolen jewellery worth over £1 million with its rightful owners after recovering the items during a proactive operation across London and the home counties.

The recovered collection includes identifiable pieces such as a World War One officer’s Rolex watch, a gold locket containing old pictures, an engraved gold ring, and an engraved gold pocket watch from Harlow Bros Ltd.

Keep ReadingShow less
british-muslims

The initiative aims to track incidents, raise awareness of hate crime, and provide better victim support.

iStock)

Government announces fund to combat anti-Muslim hate

THE UK government has announced a new fund to monitor anti-Muslim hate and support victims, with applications opening on 7 April.

The initiative aims to track incidents, raise awareness of hate crime, and provide better victim support.

Keep ReadingShow less
Probe launched over racist broadcast at Kent asylum centre

FILE PHOTO: Entrance of Manston short-term holding centre for migrants, near Ramsgate in southeast England. (Photo by BEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty Images)

Probe launched over racist broadcast at Kent asylum centre

AUTHORITIES have launched an investigation following reports that a racist message was broadcast over portable radios at an asylum processing centre in Kent.

The incident occurred at the Manston site, where small boat arrivals are processed by the Home Office and its contractor, Mitie, reported The Guardian.

Keep ReadingShow less
Protest against dog crackdown ahead of Modi's Sri Lanka visit

Sri Lankan animal rights activists take part in a demonstration in Colombo on April 3, 2025, to protest the round-up of stray dogs a day ahead of a visit by Narendra Modi. (Photo by ISHARA S. KODIKARA/AFP via Getty Images)

Protest against dog crackdown ahead of Modi's Sri Lanka visit

SRI LANKAN animal rights activists marched on Thursday (3) to protest the round-up of stray dogs a day ahead of a visit by Indian prime minister Narendra Modi.

Authorities in Colombo and the Buddhist pilgrim city of Anuradhapura have reportedly deployed dog catchers to impound hounds ahead of Modi's visit, which begins on Friday (4).

Keep ReadingShow less
modi-trump-getty

Donald Trump and Narendra Modi hold a joint press conference in the East Room at the White House on February 13, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo: Getty Images)

Getty Images

Explained: Impact of US tariffs on Indian exports

The United States has announced a 27 per cent reciprocal tariff on Indian goods entering the American market.

Industry experts have said these duties will pose challenges for Indian exports, though India's position remains more favourable than some of its competitors.

Keep ReadingShow less