A PRIDE March took place in Leamington town centre for the very first time as part of Warwickshire Pride.
The colourful celebration of LGBT+ life and culture came back with a bang at the weekend after a two year gap due to the pandemic.
And for the first time in the Warwickshire event’s ten year history, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people paraded through the town in a Pride March.
The festival, for all the family, saw a rainbow marketplace of stalls, live performances and entertainment on stage at the Pump Room Garden on Saturday (August 20).
There was also food and drink from around the world, fairgrounds rides, a dog show, a chill out zone and much more.
Pride began as a protest, and Warwickshire Pride organisers say their event is no different. The festival is meant to be a fun day out, but it is also geared towards highlighting the injustices that LGBT+ people still face locally, nationally and around the world.
To that end, Warwickshire Police and Crime Commissioner Philip Seccombe was out mingling with members of the LGBT+ community at the festival.
Mr Seccombe said: “I’m really keen that everyone in Warwickshire feels safe and proud of who they are. No-one should fear violence, intimidation or being made to feel less about themselves because of their sexuality. While there has been progress in tackling hatred and intolerance in our communities, I know there is still further work that needs to be carried out and I’m determined to see that change happen.”
