pCircling through the crowd in front of Eros in skates, black hats and a pink cowboy hat (silver stilettos with fringe in hand for the club later), Willow Collins said her first time at London Pride was “magical”.
“It’s the first time I’m able to show up with my family and be myself. It’s so magical to be here,” said the 20-year-old, surrounded by thousands of rainbow-clad crowds waiting for the parade to pass through Piccadilly Circus on Saturday.
The student and retail worker was one of many first-timers at the event.
“It’s the first time I can fully present myself with my family and be myself,” Willow Collins said. Photograph: Andy Hall/The Observer
Among them was construction worker Pat Ronan, 51. He was wearing a T-shirt that said, “I’m proud of you. Hugs from a free father”, he said that he was there in support of his two daughters.
“It makes you realize how lucky we are,” Lacey, 24, said of her father. “He’s very interested.”
But while the atmosphere was largely jovial, this year’s parade had strong political messages, from trans rights to the climate crisis.
“It’s more of a protest than a carnival,” said Samson, 34, a support worker, in response to the religious posters. “As you can see, the Christian group here is trying to discourage people. We are here to protest against them.”
Pride marchers and fundamentalist Christians clash in Piccadilly Circus. Photograph: Andy Hall/The Observer
Amid growing anti-trans rhetoric, many said it was especially important to support Pride.
Erin Hughes was carrying a pink trans rights banner. The 17-year-old from Woking, Surrey, who identifies as they/them, said: “It’s important that people know that trans people are just people. They deserve to be treated with respect.”
The government, they added, must do more to support trans people. “A lot of the decisions they’re making are reinforcing the hate that’s being directed at trans people lately.”
Lexi Kane, 34, from Farnham, Surrey, said: “It’s lovely to be around everyone who is like me. We’re not going to be forced back into the closet and this is a show.” Anne Coombes, 65, from Reading, added: “Well said. We are being attacked from all sides.”
Just Stop Oil protesters disrupted the parade in reaction to Pride accepting sponsorship money from “highly polluting industries”.
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Protesters were arrested after blocking the road in front of a Coca-Cola truck in Piccadilly, temporarily halting the parade.
From left: Lexi Kane, Anne Coombes and fellow Pride attendees. Photograph: Andy Hall/The Observer
In a statement, members of the LGBTQ+ group said: “These associations shame the LGBTQ+ community at a time when much of the cultural world rejects ties to these toxic industries.”
LGBTQ+ people are “suffering first” in the “accelerating social breakdown” caused by the climate crisis, they added. “Pride was born out of protest.”
Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, said before the parade that Just Stop Oil was a “really important lobby group”. He added: “It is very important to recognize that the joy of a democracy is protest.”
In Trafalgar Square, banners around a stage read ‘You never walk alone’ and ‘We march with our trans family’. Among the performers was the singer Lluís III. When he asked the crowd to “make some noise for queer love, queer love,” he was met with cheers and waving of Pride flags.
