Latest news with #StaffordPride
BBC News
10-08-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
'Whole lot of love' from thousands at Stafford Pride
Thousands have taken to the streets in Staffordshire in rainbow colours to celebrate a Pride second Stafford Pride kicked off with a parade through the town centre at midday on Saturday, followed with a festival at Victoria "amazing" event celebrated the local LGBTQ+ community, organisers said, with crowds gathering to watch a headline performance from drag artist Baga director Jack Taylor-Walker said: "It just goes to show that there's a hell of a lot of love about." He said the festival, which was first held in 2024, was going from strength to strength, with this year's attendance up to about 8,000 year's event attracted about 7,500."We had an amazing crowd throughout the town for the parade and also in the park itself," Mr Taylor-Walker said. "This was a proper family event and it was well attended by families." Bunting and rainbow flags flying across the town showed support for Pride's mission of equality and tolerance, with the support of local organisations and the community meaningful, the event director added."It means that our community, the LGBTQ+ community, can be themselves and just celebrate the right that our predecessors before us have spent so long fighting for," he said. Stafford Pride is a community interest company, with funds raised by the event reinvested into next year's festival and the event going from strength to strength, plans for 2026 are already under way."We are back on for the 8 August next year and we'll be releasing details in the new year," Mr Taylor-Walker said. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on Facebook, X and Instagram.
Yahoo
10-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Pride group criticises 'homophobic' church plans
A pride group has criticised a church for its "disturbingly homophobic" beliefs after it was given permission to move into a town's former cinema. The Reformed Christian Church of God (RCCG) was granted planning permission to move into the vacant 1930s building on Newport Road in Stafford last month. But Stafford Pride, which has its office opposite the site, said it was "deeply troubled" by the move, pointing to the church's "anti-LGBTQ+ agenda". The RCCG has not responded to the BBC's requests for a comment. In a statement posted on social media, Stafford Pride said: "The RCCG has a disturbingly specific homophobic and anti-LGBTQ+ agenda and set of beliefs, which we stand steadfast against. "As a town, Stafford is very open, loving and welcoming, we saw this in August at the first Stafford Pride - this is the town we must continue to be." The ministry, founded in Nigeria, is led by pastor Enoch Adeboye, who has previously called homosexuality evil and said gay marriage could bring about the end of human civilisation. Speaking to BBC Radio Stoke, Stafford Pride chairman Jack Taylor-Walker said he was "horrified" at the church's "incredibly hateful" views. "We won't give up on what we do. What we will do is call this out – we will always call homophobia out because we don't accept it in our town," he said. Mr Taylor-Walker said he would be happy to engage with the church to "see how we can move forward", though he was "steadfast" against any form of homophobia. He added: "It's incredibly worrying and incredibly upsetting." Stafford Cinema closed its doors in 2021, 85 years after it first opened as an Odeon in 1936. In late 2022, it was announced that the site was going to be brought back to life as a live entertainment venue, but the plan never came to fruition. Stafford Borough Council approved the RCCG's planning application to change its use from a cinema to a place of worship on 13 February. Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. Former 1930s cinema back up for sale again Plans to reopen former cinema as music venue Town gets ready for first Pride parade Council makes U-turn in Pride flag row Stafford Pride
