I can live with - dare I say it - the homosexual community pinching the word "gay" to describe their sexuality because it as a little-used word anyway.

It can also produce some unintentional humour on hearing it today, before the word had its current connotation, like the character Gaylord (who was far from gay) in Show Boat.

I do object, though, to people appropriating the word "pride", as in Brighton's Gay Pride parade. Pride has several meanings.

For instance, as in the expression for that most majestic of mammals, a pride of lions. Interestingly, all males.

When that gregarious gifted gay, the late, great Sir Noel Coward, penned his song London Pride, he could hardly have imagined. Where else?

-Tony Andrews, Lower Bevendean Avenue, Brighton