Brighton Pride parade 2017: 300,000 people gather for LGBT celebration

Francesca Gillett5 August 2017

Hundreds of thousands of people have joined together in Brighton for one of the UK’s biggest summer Pride celebrations.

Iconic musical duo the Pet Shop Boys headlined this year’s gathering for their first Pride performance in 20 years.

This year’s annual event is extra special, marking 50 years since the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality.

Other acts performing to the joyful crowds include Years & Years, Louisa Johnson and David Morales.

Brighton Pride parade 2017: Thousands line streets for celebration.

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A colourful carnival parade began at Hove Lawns at 11am on Saturday followed by a ticketed celebration in Preston Park.

The first Brighton and Hove gay Pride march was staged in 1973 but its return was not seen until 1991.
PA

Pride director Paul Kemp said: "As we celebrate the milestone of the 50th anniversary of the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality in England and Wales, this year's Pride is all set to be one of the best ever."

The first Brighton and Hove gay Pride march was staged in 1973 but its return was not seen until 1991 amid political anger over Section 28's ban on the promotion of homosexuality.

Revellers make their way along the promenade at the Brighton Pride Community Parade.
PA

As the years passed, the event grew but it hit financial trouble in 2010 despite that year's Brighton and Hove Pride attracting 160,000 revellers.

It underwent a revival with new management in 2012, and organisers say that over the years it has helped change attitudes and promote acceptance and equality.

Assistant Chief Constable Laurence Taylor, of Sussex Police, said: "Months of preparation have taken place in the lead up to Pride and, as in previous years, public safety is our main priority.

"We are taking all reasonable steps to ensure the well-being of those attending as well as minimising disruption to those going about their daily business.

"Similarly to last year, we will have a number of armed officers working across the city over the weekend and we will again be making use of other safety measures such as road barriers in some parts of the city."

In Northern Ireland, thousands also took to the streets of Belfast for a gay pride event.

Irish premier Leo Varadkar, the country’s first openly gay leader and who was attending the event, said it is "only a matter of time" before same-sex marriage is introduced in Northern Ireland.

He said he was attending the event to express solidarity and support for individual freedom and equality.

Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK where same-sex marriage remains outlawed after the Republic voted to change the law in a watershed 2015 referendum.

Additional reporting by Press Association.

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