Pride events coming to Stratford and Shipston this summer
It’ll be a summer of celebration for LGBT communities in Stratford and Shipston with Warwickshire Pride events due to take place in the towns ahead of Leamington’s Pride Parade in August.
Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, Warwickshire Pride will be holding events on the 12th June in Shipston and the 10th July in Stratford.
After having to cancel the planned events in the last two years, Warwickshire Pride Chairman, Daniel Browne, explained how he was delighted to be finally bringing events to Stratford and Shipston.
“We're not looking to replicate what we're already doing in Leamington, so these will be more like ‘Pride Picnics’,” he said. “They’ll be taking place in parks in the towns and people can just come along; it’s all very chilled out and relaxed, with food, drink, maybe some performances, and just a nice community feel.
“It’ll be lovely to celebrate, particularly after what we've all been through in the pandemic. It’s all about joy, togetherness, and people feeling they can be who they are. There are LGBT communities across Warwickshire. Some are very visible, and some are very much hidden, so it’s about celebrating all of them.
While the events will be full of festivities, Daniel stressed the importance of remembering all the organisation has achieved in the 50 years since its first parade, and how that fight still continues.
“We can’t forget that pride is a protest as well,” he said. “It’s about highlighting some of the challenges that we still face, like hate, discrimination, homophobia and transphobia. They’re still rife, and I would say growing. In some parts of Warwickshire, it's really difficult to be LGBT, so it shows why these events are so important.
“We're also seeing a real backlash against trans people in particular at the moment, and I would say our government are acting in a pretty anti-trans way. So there's a lot of good stuff we can do locally, and hopefully in the long term, things will get better and better.”
The impact of local action, and how it can spread to enact real change across the whole country, is something that should be centre stage in the celebrations, explained Daniel.
“That's why our events are open to all people,” he said. “We encourage people who maybe don't understand the LGBT community or LGBT identities or whatever it may be, to come along, actually meet people from the community and immerse yourself in what's going on. Then ultimately, we can change people's hearts and minds, and that leads to things getting better for everyone.
“I would say just come along and get involved. Not just LGBT people or young people, but everybody from every walk of life. Part of pride is about celebrating who we are, so it’s going to be a nice day out for everyone to attend and gain something from, and a chance to be part of the community.”
