Manchester Pride has announced that the theme for the 2021 Manchester Pride Festival from Friday 27th August – Monday 30th August will be Garden Of Freedom, as the LGBTQ+ charity looks towards bringing LGBTQ+ people back together to stand together and to push forward in the fight for freedom.
Manchester Pride is calling on the LGBTQ+ people of Greater Manchester and their allies to reunite after a time when the world as we knew it stopped and freedom was halted, but the fight for equality continued.
LGBTQ+ people have faced setbacks in the fight towards freedom and equality after the pandemic has impacted access to vital services such as those for mental health, which has seen a disproportionate effect in particular for young LGBTQ+ people.
We aspire to support every single LGBTQ+ person within our varied communities
Mark Fletcher, Chief Executive, Manchester Pride
Out of the nearly 35,000 LGBTQ+ youth who were surveyed, 42 percent of respondents between the ages of 13 and 24 had seriously considered attempting suicide within the past 12 months of the pandemic, with more than half identifying as trans or nonbinary youth.
Diverse and inclusive.
With the support of the charity needed more than ever, the Manchester Pride Festival provides the space for LGBTQ+ people to be free to live, free to hug, free to celebrate and free to love. Freedoms which have been fought for over many years in Manchester.
The LGBTQ+ charity is committed to ensuring that the festival is diverse, inclusive and representative of the whole LGBTQ+ community. The charity will hold a number of listening groups and workshops throughout the year for LGBTQ+ people to discover how they can get involved and join the Garden Of Freedom celebrations. Information as to how to get involved can be found at www.manchesterpride.com.
Love without prejudice.
Mark Fletcher, chief executive for Manchester Pride, said: “This year’s festival will be one to remember after over a year of the LGBTQ+ people facing tough times and further isolation during the period of lockdown, we can now once again, reunite. Our city has always taken a leading role in the advancement of LGBTQ+ equality and we’re looking forward to welcoming LGBTQ+ people and their allies back to our annual festival.
“We aspire to support every single LGBTQ+ person within our varied communities and we want to let them know, that no matter how difficult the year has been, we have maintained our commitment to our vision of a world where LGBTQ+ people are free to live and love without prejudice.”
The Manchester Pride Parade, as part of the festival, starts on Liverpool Road, passing by the Town Hall and the Gay Village before finishing on Whitworth Street.
March proudly.
The Parade which will have the advised restrictions in place in line with government advice on August 28th, will welcome back participants in floats and walking entries from businesses and community groups across the region, in one of the festival’s most highly anticipated events. People will be once again able to march proudly together through the streets of Manchester.
Last year’s Alternative Manchester Pride was held virtually due to COVID-19 restrictions. In February 2020 the charity had announced that the theme for 2020’s Manchester Pride Parade would be a March for Peace. And then, everything changed. Forced to postpone the Festival, the team was determined to find a new way to March for Peace. A way to remember our past, live our present and look to the future of LGBTQ+ life in Greater Manchester and beyond.
Watch Manchester Pride Parade: The Movie
Applications are open next week, for those who wish to take part. Businesses that have taken part in previous events have included Autotrader, Barclays, Marks and Spencer and John Lewis. For more information visit manchesterpride.com/parade.
New home.
There will be a new home for the August Bank Holiday event’s live music experience, but the Manchester Pride Parade remains the same as it welcomes revellers to witness the spectacle of LGBTQ+ people marching across the city centre on Saturday afternoon.
Limited tickets to Manchester Pride Festival are available now. To find out more about Manchester Pride follow the charity on Twitter @manchesterpride or visit the website at manchesterpride.com.
Need to hit the spiritual reset button. Find out about Soul Pride here.
