History of Brighton And Hove Pride

THE first Brighton Gay Pride took place on Saturday, July 7, 1973 with a march from Norfolk Square to The Ship Hotel.

The march was followed by a Gay Dance at The Royal Albion Hotel, and a Gay Picnic on the Sunday.

The first Brighton Pride as we would recognise it today began in 1991 following years of protests by Brighton Area Action against the controversial Section 28.

The amendment to the Local Government Act of 1986 stated a local authority "shall not intentionally promote homosexuality or publish material with the intention of promoting homosexuality" or "promote the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship".

The law, which was eventually repealed in 2003, came out of fear-mongering as incidences of AIDS/HIV began to rise nationally, and coincided with the Daily Mail’s discovery of an educational book Jenny Lives With Eric And Martin in a school library.

The first Brighton Lesbian And Gay Pride was held in Preston Park in May, coinciding with Brighton Festival – and included an Alternative Miss Brighton show in Brighton station car park hosted by Lily Savage and Simon Fanshawe.

Further events - including a Pink Picnic in Queen’s Park in 1993 and events at the Level - saw Pride grow every year, to the point that now more than 250,000 people are estimated to enjoy Pride events in the city over the weekend.

But the free party on Preston Park is no more – as despite thousands turning out to party each weekend the voluntary contributions to Pride dropped to an average of 20p per person.

In 2011 Pride went paid for – offering big name acts to attract partygoers, including X Factor’s Alexandra Burke and Joe McElderry.

And in 2012 a new group of business leaders - including the owners of Revenge nightclub, James Ledward of GScene magazine and Paul Kemp of Wild Fruit - took over the event from Pride Southeast, after debts of almost £200,000 looked set to close the event down for good.

A hastily arranged September edition of the festival saw Fatboy Slim make his Pride debut alongside Freemasons.

Last year the Village Pride Party in Kemptown also went paid for – allowing organisers to close streets across the district for the weekend.

Every year the event brings in an estimated £13.8 million to the city’s economy, and has so far raised more than £100,000 for charities in its Rainbow Fund.

As well as introducing big name stars on its main stages Pride has tried to go back to its political roots – raising awareness of problems facing the global LGBT community with its Freedom To Live campaign highlighting the 78 countries where it is illegal to be homosexual.

And a new series of short online documentaries by director Flora Berkeley and producer Richard King will receive their big screen debut on Saturday.

We Are Pride both examines the global LGBT rights movement and gives a platform for testimony from those countries where homosexuality and transgender identification is criminalised.

“While we are celebrating our freedom we must remember the many people who are living in repressive situations all over the world,” says Berkeley.

“Until everyone is free from persecution and able to live as themselves and love without fear our freedom is incomplete.”

For more information about We Are Pride visit www.spiritedpictures.org

The big screen at Pride's main stage will also feature images, footage and memories from Pride's 25 years in the city, collected and compiled by Alf Le Flohic and Kate Wildblood.

"BrightonPride25 will celebrate our shared history and recognise the trailblazers and community organisations, the brave campaigners, activists, artists, club promoters, performers and Pride-goers who have been part of shaping the Pride movement in Brighton and Hove over a quarter of a century," says Brighton And Hove Pride's managing director Paul Kemp.

"We believe passionately that Pride should have purpose. Campaigning to highlight global LGBT communities and community fundraising is at the cornerstone of everything Pride represents and we hope BrightonPride25 will continue to reinforce this message."