Today, I will join hundreds of people, many like me who will be in costume, in the parade for Brighton and Hove Pride.

Many thousands will line the route, cheering us on. The biggest cheers being for those dressed in the most exotic and outrageous costumes. So why do we do it?

I will be in the parade with Brighton, Hove and District Labour Party with a number in my group who aren’t LGBT, but who support the LGBT community.

I’m proud that I’ve been openly gay since I was a teenager.

I will carry one of the 78 placards for Freedom To Live, the Kaleidoscope Trust’s campaign highlighting the 78 countries where homosexuality is illegal.

Sounds rather political doesn’t it? But that’s how Pride started in many countries – campaigning against governments. and fighting public and media discrimination.

In England, Pride celebrated the 1967 passing in Parliament of the Sexual Offences Bill, which decriminalised homosexual acts between two men over 21 in private.

Brighton’s first Pride was in 1973 and is still fighting discrimination.

Over the years that original cause has faded. However, we’re fortunate to have Paul Kemp, the indefatigable director of Pride Brighton, who has brought back the politics, with a small “p”.

Brighton and Hove Pride is supported by all political parties in the city but I’m proud of the Labour Party, which has introduced ground-breaking legislation for equality.

We ended the ban on LGBT people serving in our armed forces, banned discrimination in the workplace, included homophobia in the definition of hate crimes, created civil partnerships, gave LGBT people the right to adopt children, increased sentencing for homophobic hate crimes, allowed trans people to have their true gender recognised in law, scrapped the homophobic Section 28, outlawed discrimination in goods and services, and introduced the Equality Act.

But legislation cannot change people’s ways of thinking. So when you’re cheering in the crowd on Saturday, think of the original reason behind Pride.

Then you’ll be respecting those of us in the parade who are proud for being who we are.

Adrian Morris, Labour Brighton and Hove council candidate, Queen’s Park Ward 2015