This report is by Joseph Price, one of our first year unrgraduate stunts. 35 years ago, on the 29th June 1985, London’s gay pri para received some very unlikely supporters who saw their duty to show their support for a muny who had helped them survive durg tumultuo tim. The supporters were b loads…
Contents:
- WHEN MERS AND GAY ACTIVISTS UNED: THE REAL STORY OF THE FILM PRI
- PROUD: THE FIRST GAY PRI LONDON
- LGBT HISTORY MONTH: LBIANS AND GAYS SUPPORT THE MERS, 1984-85
- LBIAN AND GAY PRI PARA, LONDON, JUNE 1985
- A STORY OF SOLIDARY: MERS AND THE GAY COMMUNY
- LBIANS AND GAYS SUPPORT THE MERS: PRI A LEGACY
WHEN MERS AND GAY ACTIVISTS UNED: THE REAL STORY OF THE FILM PRI
Lookg through our llectn for signs of the long stggle for gay rights. * gay pride march london 1985 *
" He acknowledg now that this is a le you n only e once a pch and explas that he went on to tell the story of mers the Dulais valley South Wal durg the 1984-5 strike – the longt Brish history – and a gay and lbian group om London that donated more money (£11, 000 by December 1984) to their e than any other fundraiser the UK, along wh a mib emblazoned wh the logo LGSM: Lbians and Gays Support the a when a gree of homophobia was the norm, LGSM drove a uple of mib om Hackney Communy Transport and a clapped-out VW mper van to a bleak mg town South Wal to prent their donatns, uncerta what sort of wele to expect. Three years later and the film, shot Banwen, Wal, and London, and directed by Tony-wng Matthew Warch (rponsible for Matilda the Mil, and soon to be artistic director of the Old Vic), is might assume a rom about strikg mers and 80s gays was unlikely to be big box-office, but the same was probably said of Billy Ellt. "In the homema LGSM documentary, we also glimpse a tall, handsome fellow wearg groovy leather troers, shakg a donatns bucket outsi Gay's the Word bookshop London's Marchmont Street – this is Jonathan Blake.
PROUD: THE FIRST GAY PRI LONDON
The year 1970 marked what many historians nsir the first gay pri paras Ameri. * gay pride march london 1985 *
But they began as tensely polil events, challeng to a world where homosexual activi were first Gay Pri march took place London on 1 July 1972, spired by the 1969 Stonewall Rts New York. Wh the slogan 'Lbians and Gay Men Come Out On the Streets', Pri was an opportuny for LGBT Londoners to show their strength and numbers, and show "the posive si of the beg gay: GAY IS FUN; GAY IS PROUD; GAY IS BEAUTIFUL! The lours reprent: red for life, orange for healg, yellow for sun, green for nature, blue for harmony (or art) and purple for necklace was bought by a gay man at one of the first London Gay Pri march he attend, about 1985.
The Francis Goldg llectn clud a first for the mm: the sus that he and his partner, Dr Satish Padiyar, wore their civil partnership ceremony 2006 - both a tone of public acceptance for homosexualy, and a remr that marriage equaly for lbian and gay people was not achieved until the law was changed 2013. Gay Pri March, subsequently re-brand as Pri March and now Pri Paras (see Pri) have been held London sce the early 1970s, normally on the neart Saturday to 28 June, the anniversary of the Stonewall rts.
LGBT HISTORY MONTH: LBIANS AND GAYS SUPPORT THE MERS, 1984-85
* gay pride march london 1985 *
As portrayed the 2014 film Pri, the small Welsh mg village of Onllwyn Neath Port Talbot was the settg for the seemgly unlikely llaboratn between a group of lbian and gay activists om London and strikg Welsh mers and their fai durg the year-long UK strike 1984-85.
LBIAN AND GAY PRI PARA, LONDON, JUNE 1985
"I felt very rponsible to young lbian and gay men who were g up who might not have seen anybody like me." * gay pride march london 1985 *
Followg an ial bucket llectn for strikg mers at the June 1984 Gay Pri march, Lbians and Gays Support the Mers (LGSM) was formed July 1984 after a reprentative om the South Wal Natnal Unn of Meworkers me to speak at a meetg at the Universy of London Stunt Unn. Revellers wearg face pat, glter, jewels and sequs joed the celebratns as Pri returned for the first time sce the Covid-19 event, hailed as the most clive history, clud performanc om Ava Max and Emeli para paid homage to the origal 1972 march, anised by the Gay Liberatn Front (GLF), and saw revellers pass signifint s om the UK's LGBTQ+ led Park Lane ahead of the ma march through the pal, which was led by GLF activists holdg plards readg "I was there 1972".
A STORY OF SOLIDARY: MERS AND THE GAY COMMUNY
"Image source, EPAImage ptn, Thoands gathered Trafalgar Square to celebrateImage source, RtersImage ptn, The para paid homage to the 1972 march, passg signifint s om the UK's first LGBTQ+ movementIn Trafalgar Square, Dame Kelly Holm told the crowd she would "never live behd that curta aga" after g out as gay last month.
"For 34 years I have never been able to say those words until two weeks ago, due to the fear of judgement and retributn that was stilled me sce the age of 18 bee the laws the ary and beg the public eye, " the Olympic champn source, Getty ImagImage ptn, Dame Kelly, 52, shared her relief at g out as gay last monthAt the ont of the para, the star of Netflix g-of-age drama Heartstopper, Joe Locke, said was an honour to be celebratg "beg queer when the world might not be so acceptg". "I'm proud to be a gay man, " he ptn, London Pri at 50: Veteran meets para first-timerImage source, PA MediaImage ptn, Pri volunteers add rabow face pat to each other's fac ahead of the Pri London paraLoud, proud and backBy Lren Moss, LGBT and inty rrponnt, at the paraIn 2022 Pri is most fely a were dancg the street, throwg sweets, blowg whistl and havg a great enormo rabow flag billowed out behd the Gay Liberatn Front, who anised the first prott 's no doubt that 's worlds away om what was when started wh a few hundred people riskg arrt for kissg each other the 're followed by thoands of people who want to make their voic heard at the place where Pri was born 50 years source, Getty ImagImage ptn, More than 600 LGBTQ+ muny groups joed the marchImage source, Getty ImagImage ptn, Revellers wore face pat, glter, jewels and sequsMohammed Nazir, 24, om Banglash, om mpaign group Rabows Across Borrs, said he wanted to dite this year's pri to those who were still forced to hi their sexualy. Organisers said reflected the "very real ncerns" of the LGBTQ+ muny - particular over the force's handlg of four murrs of gay men by serial killer Stephen force acknowledged ncerns om the LGBTQ+ muny the wake of quts which nclud police failgs "probably" ntributed to the aths of the young wasn't jt London that marked Pri on Shetland held their first Pri ftival, the most northerly celebratn of s kd the UK, plete wh burlque dancers, a samba band and people drsed as Vikgs.
LBIANS AND GAYS SUPPORT THE MERS: PRI A LEGACY
As thoands of people prepare to jo this year's Pri para through central London, BBC News tak a look at some of the most strikg imag om the event's 45-year source, Steve EasonImage source, Getty ImagThe first official UK Gay Pri Rally was held London on 1 July 1972. The date was chosen as was the neart Saturday to the anniversary of the Stonewall rts of 1969, which saw people prott agast a police raid at the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar 1976, a piic was held Victoria Garns by the Ho of Parliament durg what was then lled Gay Pri source, Steve EasonImage source, Steve EasonImage source, Peter MacdiarmidIn 1981 the Pri March was moved to Hudrsfield for one year only, support of the Gemi Club, which police had once lled "a csp of filth" 1983 the march was renamed Lbian and Gay Pri and the 1990s beme more of a rnival event.
Sce then, a polil rally has been held Trafalgar Square straight after the source, Jeremy O'DonnellImage source, Steve EasonThe march 1996 saw gay men make a statement about relig attus to homosexualy by impersonatg the Pope and members of the Mafia. There will also be for the first time a seated grandstand - tickets for which have already sold source, Steve EasonThe 2017 theme is Love Happens Here - and marks 50 years sce homosexualy was crimalised the London has issued advice for those planng to attend: "We remend you e ready for a day of excg para watchg.
This year's Pri London marked five s of annual march and ftivi celebratg the LGBTQ+ source, Brian Hart, CHE Archiv, Bishopsgate InstuteImage ptn, The first UK Gay Pri Rally, Trafalgar Square, central London, 1972 (above and below) central London para returned on 2 July after a two-year hiat due to the ronavis 2, 000 people joed the first UK Gay Pri Rally, London, on 1 July 1972, the neart Saturday to the third anniversary of the Stonewall rts agast a police raid at a gay bar , more than one ln celebrate Pri the UK's pal - and there are events all over the source, Brian Hart, CHE Archiv, Bishopsgate InstuteBishopsgate Instute's Special Collectns and Archiv holds one of the most extensive llectns on LGBTQ+ history, polics and culture the UK, cludg:the Lbian and Gay Newsmedia Archive, more than 300, 000 prs cuttgs and about 10, 000 LGBTQ+ tl, om amic works, bgraphi, fictn and poetry to pulp fictnmore than 10, 000 imag of Pri, om the first march to the prent day1970sImage source, LGBTQ+ Archiv, Bishopsgate InstuteImage ptn, 1973Manager Stef Dickers told BBC News: "Rerdg and archivg LGBTQ+ history is val to rm, spire and empower future generatns about their own history. "Image source, Robert Workman Archive, Bishopsgate InstuteImage ptn, 1976Gay Pri Week, 1976, saw a piic Victoria Garns, by the Ho of source, Robert Workman Archive, Bishopsgate InstuteImage ptn, 1976Many of the imag have never been publicly displayed.