“No one is free until we are all free – and no one gets left behind”
BY SOPHIE GRIFFITHS, IMAGE BY MANCHESTER PRIDE
It might seem early, but Pride season is already around the corner, folks, and Manchester Pride, one of the UK’s biggest and boldest, will be taking place on Saturday 29 August 2020. This year, the charity has chosen to #MarchForPeace, with its message loud and clear: “No one is free until we are all free, and no one gets left behind.”
Manchester Pride is calling on the community and allies to come together, respect each others chosen labels, embrace differences and to recognise that everyone deserves the right to be who they are and live their lives peacefully.
Committed to creating opportunities to engage LGBTQI people so that they can thrive, the central Pride Parade is a vital part of Manchester Pride‘s community engagement programme. It provides an opportunity for community members to not only connect with Manchester Pride, but also with each other to create lasting relationships and, in turn, reduce social isolation.
Last year, Manchester Pride announced a brand new format for the Manchester Pride Festival and a new home for the August Bank Holiday event’s live music experience, but the Manchester Pride Parade remains the same as ever, as it welcomes hundreds of thousands of revellers to witness the spectacle of LGBTQI people and allies marching together across the city centre on the Saturday afternoon.
Mark Fletcher, chief executive for Manchester Pride, said: “Every year I am asked do we still need a Pride celebration and every year I say yes we do.
“Statistics show us that more than half of all black, Asian and minority ethnic LGBTQ+ people have reported experiencing discrimination or poor treatment within their local LGBTQ+ network because of their ethnicity and whilst we have certainly made great leaps in our mission to rid the world of discrimination it isn’t yet an even playing field.
“We must support every single member of every single LGBTQ+ community and fight until they feel equal and free to be themselves. This is why this year we will March For Peace as we ask the world to recognise that the fight has only just begun.”
Tickets to Manchester Pride Festival are available now. Rainbow passes start at £35 for a day pass and £65 for the whole weekend. A rainbow pass entitles festival goers access to two days at Manchester Pride Live and four days at the Gay Village Party over the bank holiday weekend. The Manchester Pride Parade is free to attend.
To find out more, follow the charity on Twitter or visit their website
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