Two major Pride events across the UK this weekend – Manchester and Pride Cymru, Cardiff – both faced small opposition, but LGBTQ+ solidarity prevailed.
Manchester Pride’s four-day event got off to a flying start Friday (August 27), where the sunshine was out in the city’s gay village, and so were revellers.
Despite the four-day weekend being a great success so far, Friday had one minor disruption following a visit from a lone LGB Alliance subscriber and self-proclaimed TERF, who decided to show up and try to cause conflict (for the second year running).
Thankfully (for the second year running), this person was promptly given the boot.
Alexander Bramham was “assaulted” and kicked out of a pride event. He went to it with egregious intentions, this can be clarified by his sign and his insistence that gay men are responsible for monkeypox.
His supporters then go on to say this…#ManchesterPride pic.twitter.com/46YlAAQS6Q
— Ty (@TysStuff) August 26, 2022
Hardware store Wickes – who faced transphobic backlash earlier this month for sporting inclusive LGBTQ+ messaging in its Pride posters – proved that some corporations aren’t just all talk and no action: defiantly using the same signs again for Manchester’s Pride.
Hi! Thanks for your supportive message – we’re very proud of our LGBTQ+ employee network who do fantastic work to help make sure all Wickes colleagues can feel at home. – Scott
— WICKES (@Wickes) August 27, 2022
🎉 DAY 2 🎉
— Manchester Pride (@ManchesterPride) August 27, 2022
🌈 What an amazing way to kick off the Gay Village Party with so much love 🏳️⚧️
Who’s joining us for the Parade at midday? 🏳️🌈
Watch the highlights from Day 2 and don’t forget, there’s still a chance to get your tickets 👉🏾 https://t.co/eomW1frTRz pic.twitter.com/hdmtVP8JU9
Elsewhere, just two days into Manchester Pride and so far the celebrations seem like a pretty glorious occasion for all in attendance (more images at the bottom of article).
We’re back at @ManchesterPride and prouder than ever! With the dedication of our LGBTQ+ network we’re committed to making sure all our customers and colleagues can feel at home at Wickes. #ManchesterPride #LetsDoItWithPride pic.twitter.com/toACQtJ79v
— WICKES (@Wickes) August 27, 2022
Pride Cymru also sent a defiant message to haters as the festivities got underway in Cardiff, with only a minor interruption.
Thousands of people gathered today (August 27) to celebrate Wales’ largest celebration of equality and diversity at Pride Cymru, the first year back for the annual event since the coronavirus outbreak.
The festivities were only momentarily marred for some, when a small number of people arrived to try and disrupt proceedings.
As is always the case with these ‘groups’, most of the noise went down on social media, with the incident seeming to effect very few people or anyone’s overall mood at the actual event.
Equally, as is always the case with these ‘groups’, they show up to attack an event or a group of people before ultimately using social media to scream about how THEY are the victims afterwards.
Make it make sense…
A statement shared to Pride Cymru’s Twitter feed said:
“Today’s Pride Cymru parade was all about celebration and LGBTQ+ rights”, the message signed by the organisation’s Chair, Gian Molinu, read.
“Despite a small group of people interrupting the march, they were drowned out by shouts of solidarity from the community and spectators. There is no place for hate at Pride. And as our parade said today loudly and clearly ‘trans rights are human rights’.”
The note finished with the hashtag, “#UniqueandUnited”
A statement from Pride Cymru. pic.twitter.com/PQI4UDfnV9
— Pride Cymru (@PrideCymru) August 27, 2022
#PrideCymru trended on Twitter after the small group showed up spouting the usual discriminatory rhetoric, seemingly organised by a fraction who use the slogan “Lesbian Not Queer”, and who want to “get the L out” of LGBTQ+.
Eye roll.
We hear some transphobic protesters turned up at #PrideCymru. We hear that there weren’t many of them. We hear they were told to go. The LGBTQ+ movement stands together against transphobia. Diolch Cymru ❤️❤️❤️
— Trans Actual (@TransActualUK) August 27, 2022
Many on social media pointed out that there were hundreds of lesbians in attendance, along with bisexual people, trans and gender-diverse folk, gays and other fractions of the LGBTQ+ community, along with allies – all enjoying a perfectly lovely time.
Many were also quick to point out the hilarious but clearly insane irony of a group of people shouting “get the L out”, when they showed up, uninvited, to an event clearly labelled for the whole LGBTQ+ community , which they had literally inserted themselves into.
Many were quick to say things along the lines of, “fuck off then” “okay, well, leave”:
The Twitter account used by the group behind the disruption (we’re not printing their name) was subsequently suspended from the platform “for 6 days without possibility of appeal or getting our account back (we tried!)”. Oh well.
South Wales Police issued a statement following the incident, saying:
“South Wales Police worked closely with the local authority and Pride Cymru to facilitate a march through Cardiff City Centre on Saturday August 27. During the event, officers were required to engage with a small protest group who had assembled themselves on the route to block the procession.”
“To ensure no further disruption to the event, officers asked the group to move to an alternative location nearby which they agreed to do. Officers explained why they needed to move, provided guidance about protesting lawfully and offered to facilitate a lawful protest”, the statement continued.
HAPPY PRIDE CARDIFF, loved my first day ever at pride! Happy trans masc asexual here #PrideCymru #Pride2022 #CARDIFF #cardiffpride pic.twitter.com/shKUOiLt3F
— Loiswolf99 – Commissions open! (@Loiswolf99) August 27, 2022
If you’re out tonight celebrating #PrideCymru 🏳️🌈 🏳️⚧️ then you’ll see @SWPVolunteers out with @SWPCardiff on the #SafetyBus
They’ll be out until 0500hrs getting people to a place of safety with First Aid, Water & 📲 🔋 chargers
Working with partners to #KeepCardiffSafe @swpolice pic.twitter.com/vt43rdeaTu— PC Mike Neate (@MikeUniCop) August 27, 2022
Despite the failed attempt to disrupt proceedings, the event went ahead a total success, with Dan Walsh, Trustee and director of Pride Cymru, telling ITV:
“We’re back with a bang, it’s been three long years since we’ve had a Pride Cymru festival. We’re expecting 50,000 people to engage with the parade or be here on site over the course of this weekend”, he said.
“The community is back together for the first time, people found it really really difficult from our community during the pandemic, lots of members of the LGBT community can be quite socially isolated, maybe don’t have the right family connections to get through that alone, so it’s great for everyone to come back and celebrate how much we’ve achieved but also think about what we’ve got to go.”
So excited to be at #PrideCymru today! Come say hello 👋 @StonewallCymru pic.twitter.com/q4SFPoXa0U
— Stonewall (@stonewalluk) August 27, 2022
While First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford, shared a message on social media lending support to Pride Cymru.
In a video, he said: “It’s fantastic to be back here at a Pride march in Cardiff for the first time in three years.
“The importance of the event is to both mark the enormous progress there has been in Wales over recent years but to look ahead as well to struggles still to come. No ground for any progressive movement was ever gained without a struggle and while today is a celebration it also marks the sacrifice and the contributions of those who have gone before and sets us on the path to an even more successful future.”
More images of Pride Cymru and Manchester Pride below:
Pride is our celebration of the joy at being our true selves and a protest against those who would try to take that from us.
Transphobes will never win. This is our pride! #PrideCymru2022 #TransJoy #TransRightsAreHumanRights pic.twitter.com/NYhGelFUkE— Kate Nambiar (@KateNambiar) August 27, 2022
Great to see a show of solidarity overcome the most minor of bumps in the road with a terf barricade that was booed and shooed in no time!
Hate has no place in pride and the chants of #TransRightsAreHumanRights showed we didn’t let it ruin our day!
Well done #PrideCymru2022 pic.twitter.com/ATcaI2CFRN— Huw (@Huw_Cook) August 27, 2022
Pride Cymru Hapus!
It’s amazing to be back at #PrideCymru2022 today to celebrate our amazing Welsh LGBTQ+ communities.
Together, we can create a Wales where everyone is free to be themselves and accepted without exception. pic.twitter.com/pNOYGFmj6w— Mark Drakeford (@PrifWeinidog) August 27, 2022
Can you tell how happy I am to be in the parade at @ManchesterPride? That’s because this is the city that taught me to be proud – and it’s the best in the world! ❤️🏳️🌈❤️🏳️⚧️#pride #manchesterpride #manchester pic.twitter.com/BxoS2I4aMD
— Matt Cain (@MattCainWriter) August 27, 2022
Huge thanks to Austin Wilkinson Transport for providing us with the vehicle for today’s #ManchesterPride parade! 🙌
💪 #TogetherStronger | 🔴👹 pic.twitter.com/OIXUMSDzoS— Salford Red Devils 👹 (@SalfordDevils) August 27, 2022
We had a lot of fun marching @ManchesterPride pic.twitter.com/K2G5vwpu3h
— LGBTQ+ Disabled Queer And Hear (@HearLgbt) August 27, 2022
Best weekend of the year #ManchesterPride 🏳️🌈 pic.twitter.com/rcjNf7d6wu
— Mr Bebro 🎭 (@MrBebro) August 27, 2022
Thanks so much to all the pups that came out for the @ManchesterPride parade today. You did us proud ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜 pic.twitter.com/6gTvNEhyzY
— Pups Of The North (@pupsnorth) August 27, 2022
Feelin’ proud with the glorious @russelldavies63 @GeorgeHouseTrst @ManchesterPride #lgbtq #itsasin #gay #pride pic.twitter.com/rFRvEeHJBt
— Nathaniel J Hall (@NathanielJHall) August 27, 2022