Latest news with #LiverpoolPride
ITV News
25-07-2025
- Entertainment
- ITV News
Thousands expected to descend on city centre for saved Liverpool's Pride march
Tens of thousands of people are expected to march through Liverpool to celebrate Pride after celebrations were almost cancelled due to financial pressures. The annual celebrations had originally been called off for 2025, due to rising costs and difficulty securing funding, but it was saved when the region's LGBTQ+ and HIV charity Sahir House stepped in to run the event. Now called Liverpool's Pride, organisers say they "are pulling out all the stops" to uplift often marginalised members of the queer community, like Trans people, refugees, and those living with disabilities. What is the history behind Liverpool Pride? Liverpool's first official Pride event was held the weekend of 7 August 2010. It typically takes place at the end of July or early August to commemorate the death of Michael Causer, an 18-year-old gay man who was murdered in Liverpool. Michael died in hospital after he was seriously assaulted at a house party on 25 July 2008. His family, who set up a foundation in his name to help other young LGBTQ+ people, say he was killed because of his sexual orientation. When is this year's new Pride event taking place in Liverpool? Liverpool's Pride is taking place on Saturday 26 July. What is the new route for Liverpool's Pride march? The event, which has previously taken place at St George's Hall, will start at the city's Pier Head for the first time. Local LGBTQ+ activists and community voices will lead speeches from 10.30am at Pier Head before the parade at 11.30am. The route will begin from Three Graces at the city's waterfront, along Strand Street and Salthouse Quay at the Albert Dock before ending at the M&S Bank Arena where a ticketed event will take place at noon. The 2025 march will be led by trans rights group Protect Scouse Dolls, followed by Block One – the only designated marching block, created specifically for LGBTQ+ people living with disabilities and neurodivergent LGBTQ+ people. Organisers say they will "set the pace" for the rest of the march, "helping to create a calmer, more accessible experience for everyone". Liverpool Pride say the new route has been designed to be shorter, step-free and wheelchair friendly to ensure the everybody can enjoy the parade. Is anything happening after the march? The march concludes at the M&S Bank Arena, leading straight into a main celebration event - a vibrant afternoon of LGBTQ+ joy, creativity, and community. Four hours of live performances are scheduled to take place by a wide variety of "incredible" local LGBTQ+ performers The event will also feature a community marketplace with around 40 stalls including charities, queer makers, food, drink, and services The inclusive event is for everyone who marched with Pride – and for those cheering us on from the side-lines - with tickets costing £5.50. Why did LCR Pride cancel the 2025 event and how was it saved? The LCR Pride Foundation, the charity behind the annual March with Pride, announced in June that the event was cancelled due to 'significant financial and organisational challenges'. Organisers said it had become impossible to deliver the event, which had been scheduled for Saturday 26 July, due to rising costs and a struggle to secure both local and national funding. It added that reverting to "a mainly volunteer-led model" and tight planning timescales also played a major part. But a month after the announcement, Sahir House, the city's oldest LGBTQ+ charity, shared on social media that they had 'turned things around' and Pride was back on. The charity said in a statement on its website: 'This year, we're proudly calling it Liverpool's Pride – with an apostrophe and an 's' – because this Pride belongs to all of us.
ITV News
24-07-2025
- Business
- ITV News
Reading Pride's future at risk due to a funding shortfall
Organisers of one of Berkshire's biggest pride events say it is now at risk due to a funding shortfall. Reading Pride is set to take place on 30 August at King's Meadow. Every year, the event costs over £110,000 to run, with every penny coming from volunteers' fundraising. However, support from local companies and organisations has halved, which has left organisers with a £30,000 blackhole. The UK Pride Organisers Network says 75% of Pride events across the UK have seen a decline in sponsorship. This year, Southampton's 'Pride in the Park' as well as Liverpool Pride and Plymouth Pride were cancelled, all due to 'significant financial and organisational challenges.' It comes a year on from when Hastings Pride was rescued by a local taxi firm, after initially being cancelled. Organisers at Reading Pride are calling on the public to help support them saying, although it is a free event, they want to ensure it not only happens this year but continues to thrive for years to come. On Instagram, they said they're aren't just looking for donations but 'enthusiastic individuals' to volunteer.
The Independent
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Liverpool Pride back on after LGBTQ+ charity steps up
Liverpool Pride is back on this year, after an LGBTQ+ charity has stepped in to help facilitate and coordinate a city-wide, community-led celebration. The original organisers, LCR Pride Foundation, originally cancelled their 26 July party and parade plans due to 'significant financial and organisational challenges, which have impacted timescales and resulted in it reverting to an almost entirely volunteer-led operation'. But Sahir House, the city's oldest LGBTQ+ charity, shared on social media that they have 'turned things around' and Pride will be 'louder, prouder, and truly ours.' This year's Pride in Liverpool will see a new march route, a queer arena celebration, as well as activities for families and a Pride Quarter family as Sahir House said 'pride is for everyone.' It comes after The Independent reported last week that Pride organisers are warning Donald Trump's DEI rollback in the states was having an effect in the UK, with UK Pride Organisers Network (UKPON) cited a decline in corporate sponsorships for 75 per cent of Pride events across the UK this year. Organisers said that big corporations that had long sponsored Pride were 'pulling back their funding in all aspects', especially if they have head offices in the US. Dee Llewellyn, chair of UKPON and director of partnerships and growth for London Pride, said support for Pride had 'fallen off a cliff', causing a number of events across the country close their doors, including big events such as Liverpool. Sahir House has set a goal of £60,000 in order to fund its grassroots Pride celebration, having so far managed to raise £15,416. John Hyland, former co-chair of Liverpool Pride and the Community Partnerships and Individual Giving Lead for Sahir, had told The Independent that now more than ever before, Pride was necessary. 'I think definitely in light of what's happened with the Supreme Court ruling, we've had a number of number of transgender community-led protests happen in Liverpool,' he said. 'If there's a year where we need Pride to happen, it's this year and our community has been very vocal about that.' The charity said in a statement on its website: 'Thanks to the passion, determination and sheer graft of local LGBTQ+ artists, activists, organisations and allies, we've turned things around to make Pride happen. 'This year, we're proudly calling it Liverpool's Pride – with an apostrophe and an 's' – because this Pride belongs to all of us. It's Liverpool's moment to come together, celebrate loudly, protest proudly, and reclaim our Pride with love, resilience and joy.' Pride will kick off in the city with a grassroots celebration in Prescot, taking place at Shakespeare North Playhouse on 19 July with creative workshops, spoken word, 'a symbolic Pride demonstration' with flash mobs, as well as social spaces and community connection. 'Let's celebrate Pride together, where every voice is heard and every identity shines', a statement read.
Cosmopolitan
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Cosmopolitan
Pride 2025: LGBTQ people on how Pride feels different this year
In June, also known as Pride month, rainbow flags, glitter, and slogans akin to 'love is love' are usually splashed across everything from buses to offices to drinks packaging. But this year, the landscape is looking, in the words of Stonewall's chief executive, Simon Blake, 'remarkably monochrome'. Although pinkwashing, AKA the corporatisation of Pride, has long been widely mocked, this year, companies that previously touted their support have lowered their masts, instead choosing to scale back their support for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) more broadly. So much so that Southampton Pride in the Park, Liverpool Pride, Hereford Pride, and Plymouth Pride have been called off because of difficulty securing funding. And with interest in Reform UK unfortunately burgeoning, it's likely that DEI will continue to face attacks across the country — considering party leader Nigel Farage's apparent objective to come for what he describes as a 'woke virus.' While thousands of other Pride celebrations will still go ahead across the world, in 2025, some say the festivities seem to be imbued with a notable shift. We're currently halfway through a year that has already seen some drastic rollbacks to LGBTQIA+ rights across the world — and the effects are palpable. Having been named the best place for LGBTQIA+ rights in Europe in 2015, this year, the UK has slipped to 22nd on ILGA Europe's annual Rainbow Map and Index. The fall in ranking follows the UK Supreme Court ruling in April that the legal definition of 'sex' refers solely to 'biological' men and women and not trans people, a decision that legitimises the exclusion of trans people from single-sex spaces. The ruling also restricts the definition of lesbianism to women assigned female at birth (AFAB), as the court claims that including trans and non-binary lesbians under the definition would render the concept of sexual orientation 'meaningless' — a complete disregard of the fact that almost the entire lesbian community (96%) in the UK is in support of trans people. Alongside this atrocious attack on trans rights, hate crimes against trans people have doubled in London alone in the past five years, and increased by 1,426% in the last decade in England and Wales. Elsewhere, US president Donald Trump is attempting to roll back trans rights across the country (although, unlike our Supreme Court, the US' has blocked his executive order hoping to misgender trans people on passports). Meanwhile, this year has also seen Hungary pass a law declaring there are only two genders, which bans LGBTQIA+ events. Against a turbulent political backdrop for the LGBTQIA+ community, will Pride return to its roots as an act of protest, a call for liberation, and an opportunity for the community to band together? In the build up to June, it's been clear the community is not backing down any time soon. The Good Law Project has fundraised over £400,000 to challenge the Supreme Court judgment; thousands of lesbian and sapphic-identifying folk fathered at the inclusive grassroots Dyke March in London on 21 June, while more than 200 Pride events have already happened or are set to take place across the UK and Ireland this year. Below, Cosmopolitan UK speaks to seven members of the LGBTQIA+ community about whether Pride month 2025 feels different to previous years — and how they're working together with their queer siblings and allies to balance the call for change with radiating queer joy. 'This year, Pride feels vital and helpful. In the UK, the last few months have seen really heinous attacks against the trans community from the media, politicians, and those with power. What I have seen as a response is the coming together of people with the overall aim of protecting and supporting one another until there is true equality for all LGBTQIA+ people. For the Dyke March, we've been fundraising because we've noticed that, for our community, people want and need it. There's this sense that Pride isn't just for waving a flag for one day a year, it's about being among the community year-round and supporting each other. It's a really tough situation for LGBTQIA+ people to see relentless anti-LGBTQIA+ headlines, so what we need is our allies speaking up on our behalf, signing and sharing petitions, and telling their friends and family about how anti-LGBTQIA+ issues are not just going to effect our community, but all of us all around the world, and how progress needs to continue. We haven't achieved full equality in society, and when [allies] go to Pride events they need to put themselves arm in arm with our community, and understand that it's a political act and something they should try to incorporate into their lives all year round.' 'Within the community, it's hard to feel like celebrating when trans people's right to exist publicly and access medical care (that vastly improves their quality of life) is being undermined. This is not a fringe issue – trans people are the leaders of our community; attacks on them are an attack on us all. There are also historic and current overlaps between the queer community and the sex worker community – it's disheartening to see the ways that the Online Safety Bill will impact sex workers trying to advertise their services online, while the Nordic Model (shown to make sex workers less safe) is being pushed in Scotland. Then there's the Crime and Policing Bill, which seeks to increase police powers around protests. When events, including Stonewall, started as uprisings against the police criminalising forms of queer life in the US, it's difficult to see these challenges to our right to protest take root in the UK. Throw in the rise of the anti-gender movement across the US, UK and EU, the ongoing genocide in Gaza, and it is an overwhelmingly bleak picture – queerness doesn't exist in a vacuum, and everyone I know is greatly concerned about the other threats to freedom, self-determination and peace that are ongoing. Allies who want to show their support could offer financial and logistical support to community events such as Disabled Queer Prom; donate to surgery fundraisers for the trans community; donate to organisations like The Good Law Project, the Rainbow Project, and Not A Phase; and adopt the Trans Bathroom Sticker grassroots scheme for trans-inclusive bathroom access.' 'I can't help but feel like nobody wants to talk about Pride or show up for the LGBTQIA+ community right now because we're too 'controversial'. And that's heartbreaking: to have my identity reduced to a single word. Since the DEI backlash began in the US, and with the recent Supreme Court ruling, it's felt like the UK has followed suit. Language is shifting. People are afraid to speak up. We mustn't be ignorant of the fact that societal attitudes and public feelings are incredibly contentious right now. Instead of asking about my coming-out journey, they're now asking what basic terminology means. In conversations with friends and strangers, many have forgotten that it's Pride month either innocently — because they think the celebrations start during the July marches — or because it's gone silent. What felt like virtue signalling has now turned to radio silence which makes me wonder as to whether others truly supported my community at all. Still, I have hope that Brits are tolerant and liberal enough to see the hostility, particularly in the media, for what it is and say: 'I don't know a trans person, but this hatred against just 0.6% of the population isn't right.' And then hopefully, they'll show up — and then some. I predict we'll see an influx of allies as we move towards London Pride in July and Trans Awareness Week in November. I've been deeply moved by strangers I've met who've challenged their mates or workplaces on how they're showing up for the community right now, and that is keeping me going. Active, not performative, allyship is what we need right now.' 'This Pride Month definitely does''t feel the same. The tides have been turning for a while, but as soon as Trump said 'screw DEI', essentially, companies took that seriously. The rainbow-washing people complained about isn't a problem anymore because less and less brands want to associate with Pride. Events have less sponsors, some Prides have been cancelled as a result. I've had work cancelled for this month because of the anti-DEI sentiment. It's much harder for activists to financially sustain themselves. Pride campaigns are few and far between nowadays, laws and rights are going backwards, and that lack of visibility and support is coming at a time where LGBTQIA+ people are under attack socially and politically. At the same time, it means that there's much more of a grassroots feel to Pride this year. I've been working in the UK and the US this month, and everyone's so mobilised and coordinated. We're all ready to fight back and stand together.' 'This Pride season feels different, and we all knew it would. Rather than simply celebrating our community, it feels like we are constantly fighting for it. And that can make celebrating Pride feel uncomfortable because, as some of us are waving our pride flags in the streets, others are scared of leaving the house or using a public bathroom. From organisations moving away from Pride-related activities and content, to the UK government defining who we are and what facilities we can use, it feels more like survival, rather than celebratory. Pride is a protest. It always has been. But this year it feels even more so. As a queer and trans activist, I am tired this Pride season, and that is a mutual feeling amongst the community.' 'The lack of Pride campaigns this year proves how disingenuous corporate Pride Month celebrations have been. Rainbow-washed Pride campaigns have always made me cringe, so I never thought I'd be wondering where they've gone! We can reflect on Pride 2025 to see what's going wrong: allies are failing us. We must recognise that Pride is rooted in riots led by Black trans women, so how are we showing direct support today? Instead of spending money on rainbow bunting, find a fundraiser to donate to. Within the Dyke community, we weren't focused on Pride Month, but rather fundraising and events for social and political issues that need support. This is highlighted by this year's Dyke March including a sex worker bloc, Queers for Palestine, Disabled Dykes, and the trans-led Leatherdyke bloc. We honoured our Queer history in June to fight for freedom, meanwhile, corporations backed off. Our Pride event is on the 5th July: Alternative Corporate Pride by the London Leatherdykes. It felt more appropriate to have our Pride event be a direct alternative to London Pride. Our events are collaborative efforts to build community, no matter the month.' 'Pride month has always brought into sharp relief what is happening in that moment. There is a broad sense that, where it's felt like we've generally been making progress and moving forward in some parts of the community for the past 20 years, there is now a definite backlash. That sense of fear; of what's happened; and what could happen, makes a really sharp focus and spotlight right now, and that's why Pride is important. Pride has always been a protest, and that is really key this year. But it also doesn't matter how many times we have to take on the fight for equality — whether they are small fights or big fights, we will continue to do so. We can be resilient and united, and make sure that however many times people want us to back down and our rights to be removed, we will keep coming back as a community and recognising that all of the parts of our community are equally as important until we've all got those rights. We all have to stand together in order to get them because it isn't possible for some of us to have the rights and enjoy them and others not to. [Allies need to] speak up and show up, making sure that people who are from the community know that you support them. It's also important for those of us who are part of the community to make sure that we are demonstrating allyship for everyone in it.' Honey Wyatt is the Sex and Relationships Senior Ecommerce Writer for Cosmopolitan, Women's Health and Men's Health, covering the best sex toys, lubes, and any product or service that positively contributes to sexual wellbeing and healthy relationships. Honey completed an MA in magazine journalism at City, University of London in 2023, which she passed with a merit. She has run Sextras, a podcast and magazine about sex and relationships, since 2020, speaking to experts on everything from sex worker rights to how to practice sex magic and whether man-hating is justified. Previously, she was a reporter for HR magazine, where she covered the importance of wellbeing and diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace, as well as the juicy (and often disturbing) ins and outs of employment tribunals. She has also written about sex, fashion, beauty, and culture for Glamour, Refinery29, Woo, The Independent and SPHERE. When she's not asking everyone she meets invasive questions about their sex and dating lives, you can find Honey bingeing noughties/nineties box sets, belting Chappell Roan or Wicked around her flat, teaching herself a craft that seems unlikely she'll be able to achieve (spoiler: she does), or pondering the meaning of life to a podcast on long walks.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Charity launches fundraiser 'to make Pride happen'
A charity has launched a fundraising campaign to host an alternative Pride event in Liverpool after the annual celebration and march in the city was cancelled. LCR Pride announced last week that the march, due to take place in July, would no longer happen because of financial challenges. Ant Hopkinson, the chief executive of the Sahir House charity, said it had pledged to raise money to help facilitate an alternative event because "Liverpool deserves a Pride". "Pride is a protest, pride is a celebration. It means many things to different people," he "We've realised as a city that no one organisation should own and operate something like Pride." Mr Hopkinson said the charity had been approached by lots of "disappointed and concerned" people. He said a range of potential cash-generating ideas had been suggested but there was a "very significant challenge" of only seven weeks to arrange an event in time for July. "We have a list of aspirations - we are currently pulling together community stakeholders, partners and local people to see what's possible," he said. With ideas ranging from a rally and a peaceful march to a street festival, Mr Hopkinson said the community "would be at the heart of the plans". "Liverpool is all about community," he said. "Pride is owned by everyone. Let's have a Pride that centres around community. "The idea of working as a collective, as a collaborative of individuals and organisations, works much better and actually feels more Scouse and more authentic." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Merseyside on Sounds and follow BBC Merseyside on Facebook, X, and Instagram. You can also send story ideas via Whatsapp to 0808 100 2230. Liverpool Pride cancelled amid financial pressures Record crowds descend on city's Pride event Instagram: Sahir House
