This year’s parade from Hyde Park to Whitehall in the British capital pays tribute to the first gay and lesbian march in 1972.
On the 50th anniversary of the Pride Parade in London, Mayor Sadiq Khan warned of dangers for the LGBT community. It’s about celebrating progress, but also continuing to stand up for equal rights for gays, lesbians and transsexuals, Khan said on Saturday.
He referred to the deadly attack around a popular gay bar in Oslo a week ago. “We must be aware that there is still a risk of discrimination, bias and violence for the community.” Khan emphasized: “We are marching today for the victims of Oslo, for those who have not made any progress like we have.”
In Oslo on the night of June 25, an attacker shot dead two people and injured 21 others. The Norwegian secret service PST classifies the attack as an Islamist terrorist attack.
In London, numerous people gathered in the morning for the first Pride Parade since the beginning of the corona pandemic. Many of the participants, who often dressed up, carried rainbow flags as a symbol of the LGBT scene. “In this great city, we should be a beacon of inclusion, of openness, but also a place where you can be who you want to be and where you can be free to love who you want to love,” Mayor Khan said.
More than a million people are expected in the British capital for the celebrations. Prominent music stars will perform in Trafalgar Square. Among them are singer Emeli Sandé, who made her bisexuality public in April, and her partner, pianist Yoana Karemova.
