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For the whole of June London has been ablaze with parties and celebrations for PRIDE Month culminating in a giant Parade on July 2nd. This is not only the first one in two years because of lockdowns and cancellations but it will be celebrating its fiftieth anniversary.
They’re calling on the UK government to ban conversion therapy for all LGBTQ+ people, to reform the Gender Recognition Act, to provide equal protection for LGBTQ+ communities against hate crime, to establish a national Aids memorial and more. As well as the parade, there’ll also be four stages at various points along the route platforming grassroots and DIY performers as well as big names like Emeli Sandé, Ava Max, Samantha Mumba and Eurovision winner Netta headlining the main stage in Trafalgar Square.
Saturday July 2. To mark its epic birthday it will retrace the original route of the inaugural 1972 Pride march. It will begin at Hyde Park, the terminus for the first ever march, before wending its way down to Piccadilly, then south to Haymarket and Trafalgar Square, and then ending at Whitehall Place.
Everything you need to know about the London Pride parade 2022.
When the Parade is over you will be spoilt for choice for parties to go to …… but if you only go to one make sure is the Duckie posse’s Gay Shame‘ party . This wonderfully ironic event is an irreverent alternative to the rainbow-hued angel wings and tanned torsos of the main Soho celebrations. As ever, the pride party will expand their regular Saturday night bash at the beloved Royal Vauxhall Tavern to include two additional bopping spots at the nearby Vauxhall railway arches. Expect weird and wonderful performances from Bourgeois & Maurice, Thick & Tight, Amerika, charismatic compering from Amy Lamé and DJs spinning everything from Britpop to Britney. Look out for extra surprises on the very last outing for the beloved queer collective.
If you want to keep walking/celebrating then on Saturday July 9th its the turn of London Trans+ Pride, which aims to “celebrate the memory of trans lives taken and uphold the next generation of trans revolutionaries”. Organisers are asking those participating to wear flowers “to honour the long legacy of transgender, non-binary, gender non-conforming and intersex people who came before us.”
