LATINO PRESS WORLDWIDE
LONDON Sunday 25 June 2017
The rainbow flag will fly proudly outside City Hall for the Pride in London fortnight as the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, encouraged all Londoners to come together and celebrate the capital’s diversity.
Pride in London 2017 looks set to be the biggest Pride event ever in the capital, with more than 60 events taking place from 24 June – 9 July. This year’s Pride parade takes place on Saturday 8 July and will feature 81 floats and 231 walking groups led by the Mayor of London alongside representatives of the Pride in London Board and City Hall. More than a million spectators are expected to line the streets of London to cheer them on.
Ensuring that the LGBT+ community feels truly valued, happy and safe is a key priority for the Mayor and, from the outset of his Mayoralty, Sadiq has championed diversity across the whole Greater London Authority (GLA) family – including Transport for London (TfL) and the Metropolitan Police.
During the Pride in London fortnight, TfL will be transforming the windows of Tottenham Court Road with a huge rainbow design and giving the iconic roundels at Tottenham Court Road, Oxford Circus and Piccadilly Circus a rainbow makeover.
Anyone taking a Santander Cycle for a spin around Soho will see 50 bicycles decorated with rainbow mudguards, to mark 50 years since the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality, and bus stops that line the parade route will also be given rainbow flags.
Two of the bus stops situated near Trafalgar Square will have their flags fitted permanently, alongside the LGBT+ pedestrian crossings that were installed last year as a sign of support to London’s LGBT+ community.
Recognising the importance of LGBT+ venues to London’s cultural life and night time economy, the Mayor has appointed Amy Lamé as Night Czar. As founder of Duckie at the legendary Royal Vauxhall Tavern, Amy is looking into how LGBT+ heritage in the capital can be preserved. Earlier this year, the Mayor invested £10,000 into research conducted by UCL Urban Labs in collaboration with the Queer Spaces Network, which will look at how London’s LGBT+ landscape has changed over the years, why venues are closing and what can be done to protect them. The findings of this research are due to be published shortly.
Celebrating the contribution of the LGBT+ community to life in the capital, the Mayor has also revived the annual Mayor’s Pride Reception, taking place at City Hall on Tuesday 4 July. This event was one of the first stopped by previous Mayor, Boris Johnson, but has been reinstated by Sadiq.
Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said:
“Here in London, you’re free to love whoever you want to love and be whoever you want to be. That is a big reason why I feel our city is seen as a welcoming home for the LGBT+ community and has such a vibrant, thriving scene – one that is bursting with colour, and contributes hugely to the life and soul of London.
“When I was elected, I promised to be a Mayor for all Londoners and, just a couple of months after taking office, I was proud to march in the 2016 Pride Parade, alongside members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and many others from all backgrounds. It’s a day I’ll never forget – celebrating London’s diversity in full technicolour.
“It’s so important to me that London is seen as a city where LGBT+ people feel valued, happy and safe. That doesn’t just mean celebrating Pride once a year, it means acting on issues that matter to the LGBT+ community all year round. Pride can also send a message of solidarity and hope to LGBT+ people across the globe who continue to face discrimination and oppression – a message that together we can achieve change and improve human rights for everyone.
“Pride in London is one of the iconic festivals of our city and underlines our reputation as one of the most LGBT+ friendly places on the planet. We have faced an extremely difficult time in London recently, with terrorist attacks and extremists trying to sow division and discord. Pride is another great demonstration of how London will always stand united – and how we will always be a beacon of inclusiveness, acceptance and diversity. Above all, it shows that London is open to all people, regardless of background, religion, race, gender, disability, age or sexuality. It shows that #LoveHappensHere.
“However you, your family and friends are celebrating – have a fantastic Pride!”