Pride 2005

WAS THE London LGBT Pride more political this year? An event which takes place to remember the 1969 Stonewall riots and the birth of the gay rights movement has mostly become less about fighting homophobia and more about a big street party for much of the LGBT world.

Marc Vallée, Socialist Party National LGBT Group Convenor

Politics of sorts started things off when Bob Geldof spoke to the start of the Parade at Hyde Park where Live8 was being held later that day and asked people to “think about the plight of Africa”.

For me the Trafalgar Square rally had some political edge. Speaker after speaker talked about how homophobia is still with us with a very moving account of homophobic attacks on LGBT people from around the world and in Britain.

A number of trade unions had stalls in Trafalgar Square including the FBU, RMT, GMB, Amicus, NUT, NAFTHE, Unison and the PCS (civil servants) who took the Socialist Party LGBT Group’s leaflet for their stall to give out. After reading our leaflet, a group of young women asked if they could help to give them out which was great!