in the news
from September 2007

Leeds Pride

Leeds Pride is only two years old, but already it’s the talk of the town!

The sun shone and the crowds came out for Leeds Pride 007 and the city’s whole gay scene united around producing the biggest and best event they could.

Thousands of people took part in the march, with thousands more filling the clubs and bars of the gay village to bursting, partying on well into the night.

Plans for next year’s event are already afoot, and Leeds City Council has shown that it sees the event as a big one on the city’s calendar and, accordingly, has offered the use of Millennium Square - along with a stage for next year’s event (pencilled in for Sunday 3rd August).

Applause to everyone involved - the amount of work they put in certainly shows. Here’s to next year!

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Wakefield Pride

August saw Wakefield ‘shugely succesful third Pride event with thousands of people taking to the streets and filling the city’s bars well on into the evening.

‘Without the money, time and talents of these people and organisations, gay and straight, this event could not have happened,’ say the organisers. ‘It is a model of what can be achieved when a group of people combine their time and talents to promote an undeniable truth - that we all have the right to tolerance and respect. We aim to be inclusive and break down barriers between cultures and we still have a way to go, but, Madonna was right when she sang ‘Music makes the people come together’. We should celebrate our differences not fight over them. Wakefield Pride not Prejudice aims to do that in small steps, but if we get the foundations right, the consequential benefits will follow and hopefully be passed on to the younger generation who are already beginning to take ownership of the event. ‘

The audience around the stage was as diverse as we could hope for and comprised of all ages, and many nationalities, backgrounds and sexualities.They were entertained by the best that Wakefield could offer.We hope we have learnt from our mistakes this year and hope that next year, Sunday 10th August, will be bigger and better.’

And statistics from the city’s CCTV cameras show that there was a staggering increase of 77.4% in attendance. At this rate, by the end of the decade, most of West Yorkshire will be attending!

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