Thousands celebrate 10 years of Channel Islands Pride in Jersey
Thousands of people turned out to celebrate 10 years of Pride in the Channel Islands.Many wore bright colours and costumes to show their support for the LGBTQ+ community.The Pride Parade started in the Royal Square at 13:00 BST before it made its way around St Helier to People's Park, as onlookers cheered it on.There was live music, children's play areas and wellbeing zones available at the park so people could come and enjoy the day.
Kaye Nicholson, the CEO of the charity Liberate Jersey, joined the parade.Liberate Jersey supports those who have been affected by discrimination and promotes equality and diversity in the island.Ms Nicholson said they "had so many people turn out looking amazingly beautiful" and the event "was just a joyous occasion".She added: "It's a really important opportunity for allyship and it needs to continue because we're seeing globally a rollback of LGBTQ rights and it's important we preserve that."
Dr Adam Perchard opened the main stage at People's Park and was the master of ceremonies through the day.They said: "It's such a special vibe because it's our 10 year anniversary."I remember the first Pride here and when I was a teenager in Jersey I would sometimes have a difficult time facing discrimination and so to see these streets filled with people supporting us is wonderful."DJ Woody Cook, the son of DJ Fatboy Slim and BBC Radio presenter Zoe Ball, took a break from his 90 mile fundraising walk to be the first music performer, and the event was headlined by former X-Factor winner Alexandra Burke.
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