“Joy for us dykes, and other communities really does feel so radical in the times we are living in now”
BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGE BY CHLOE SNELL
Brighton’s first Dyke Pride saw 3,000 attendees show up at St Ann’s Well Gardens on 5 September.
The free event saw a makers market organised by Dyke Mart Brighton, arts and crafts, games, food stalls and a line-up that included the likes of Wildblood and Queenie, Louise Fidelia and a drag cabaret hosted by Prince of Perisa and Simply the Jest.
In a speech on the day, Brighton Dyke Pride co-founder, Emily Payne, said, “Joy for us dykes, and other communities really does feel so radical in the times we are living in now.”
Zoë Schulz, another co-founder for the event, added, “Being up here today it is really important to remember that none of this would be possible without the dykes that came before us […] It was trans women of colour that fought for all LGBTQIA+ rights in the 60s. It was queer women who cared for their friends and mobilised during the HIV/AIDS crisis in the 80s. And The Rebel Dykes that abseiled down parliament to fight Section 28 in the 90s. We are only here because of the dykes who came before us that believed they could change their world.”
Offering an alternative vision to mainstream Pride, Brighton’s Dyke Pride showed the power of community-focused spaces. Although a small number of TERFs (trans-exclusionary radical feminists) tried to disrupt the event, they quickly left after the crowd chanted “LGB WITH THE T!”
Iconic DJ Kate Wildblood spoke about the power of this event on the day. “This is a first we will all remember for decades to come. This is us, Dyke Brighton! No longer in the corner, no longer a last minute, underfunded thought. We’re not ticking boxes anymore. These boxes standing here are making a change. This is us, this is Dyke Pride. And f*** me, it feels good to see you at the front.”
You can donate to support Brighton Dyke Pride here.
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