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York Pride – York, England

York LGBT Pride aims to promote equality, diversity, and advances in education, in order to eliminate discrimination against the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans (LGBT) community. We raise awareness of issues through our events, including our main summer Pride event, as well as providing support to other charities and voluntary organizations.

York Pride 2014

The York Pride 2014 has been announced with Heather Peace headlining!

The York Pride Parade is back for it’s third year; the 50m long rainbow flag will meander through York’s ancient streets; passing the mansion house, which will be flying the Rainbow Flag again. The parade will follow the same route as previous years and will be lead for the first time by a Pride Float!  We are also delighted to have the York Samba band playing throughout the parade giving real energy to the whole event.

York Pride is a charitable organization which aims to promote equality, diversity and advances in education, in order to eliminate discrimination against the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Community.

York Pride 2013 Parade

York Pride raises awareness of LGBT issues by promoting and staging events, taking part in campaigning and commentary in the media, and providing support to other LGBT charities and voluntary organizations. We also promote the provision of information, advice and support that celebrate LGBT lives and history. We aim for York to be a place where everybody knows that the diversity offered by the LGBT community is something to be celebrated and in which LGBT people can feel safe and accepted. We believe that inclusiveness improves self esteem and provides a sense of belonging, which helps to diminish the psychological effects of discrimination faced by individuals in daily life.

Our summer Pride event, which takes place within a Pride festival week, provides our main platform for a celebration of the diversity of the LGBT community in a context of entertainment, inclusivity and fun. The event is a focus for the visibility of the LGBT community in York and provides an opportunity to draw attention to important LGBT issues. Our 2011 Pride was dedicated to the memory of David Kato, a Ugandan gay rights activist who had studied in York and was murdered in his own country because of his sexuality, and featured speeches and a balloon release in his honor. This was attended by an estimated 1,000 visitors, together with acts, stallholders, local community representatives and also York’s MP.

Equal Marriage Protest February 2012

The history of Pride in York stretches back two decades and began as a very modest gathering of two dozen people at an afternoon event in Tower Gardens. Since then, it has evolved into the biggest Pride event in the County. Pride is going from strength to strength and our events and activities have continued to expand. In October 2011 York Pride launched OUTrageous, an LGBT Club night. York Pride has been visible in campaigning and commenting on LGBT issues, such as a high profile Protest for Marriage Equality outside York Minster and subsequent work encouraging the community to engage with the wider marriage equality debate.

Many of the participants at our events are from across the local LGBT community and are of all ages. We particularly encourage those who may otherwise feel marginalized. This includes LGBT teenagers from the MESMAC Youth Group, and the Older Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans Association (OLGA). Our events also attract many from the LGBT communities from other parts of the region and country.

The events York Pride organize are about community not commerce and always offer a variety of community facilities. We work closely with City of York Council staff, elected Councillors, Members of Parliament, Police, and licensing authorities to ensure our events are both safe and successful.

York Pride Committee 2013

York Pride is operated by a small team of unpaid volunteers who are working hard to continue to improve Pride for the benefit of the LGBT and wider community. We depend upon sponsorship, donations from events, local businesses and supporters and the money we raise through our fundraising activities. If you feel that you could help to support our work, by making a donation, becoming a sponsor, attending one or our events, or offering a few hours of your time, we would welcome your involvement. Details can be found on the ‘Get Involved’ pages of this website.

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