The First Norwich Pride
07-26-2009, 12:46 PM
I went to my second pride event yesterday. It happened to be the first one held in Norwich. The city council and a number of employer organisations and unions got behind the whole event. Lots of speakers and performers. Loads of events leading up to the big day with a wind down happening today. The parade itself attracted at least 500 participants maybe more. It was all pretty amazing and, once more for me, a bit emotional. I had a few minutes to speak to Daniel Danso from Stonewall and my regard for Stonewall has just gone up a few more notches ... and his photograph on the Stonewall website does him little justice 
Friends of mine were playing in Norwich Samba who led the parade. The mood was joyful ... and for those of you from other discussions we've had about Pride marches, pretty much everyone was dressed in "civvies". A few in fancy dress (some very imaginative), but I saw nothing that could possibly be construed as offensive or outrageous. The positive mood was only threatened as we passed a very sour and miserable-looking bunch of so-called "Christians" waving placards informing us that "the wages of sin are death" and suchlike jolly stuff. One of them was handing out little photocopied booklets bearing a title to the effect that gays can be cured through Jesus I couldn't help wondering what is missing in their lives that they feel the need to interfere in such a personal way in the lives of others. There have got to be other, far more important, issues upon which their god would want them to be expending their energies ... surely? Elsewhere, but marching with us were members of the Unitarian Church. I guess they are also "Christian"?
Anyway, I don't suppose anyone from the organising committee is reading this, but thanks! It was a good first Pride and I look forward to the next one.
(not my video, by the way. I just nicked it from YouTube)
Friends of mine were playing in Norwich Samba who led the parade. The mood was joyful ... and for those of you from other discussions we've had about Pride marches, pretty much everyone was dressed in "civvies". A few in fancy dress (some very imaginative), but I saw nothing that could possibly be construed as offensive or outrageous. The positive mood was only threatened as we passed a very sour and miserable-looking bunch of so-called "Christians" waving placards informing us that "the wages of sin are death" and suchlike jolly stuff. One of them was handing out little photocopied booklets bearing a title to the effect that gays can be cured through Jesus I couldn't help wondering what is missing in their lives that they feel the need to interfere in such a personal way in the lives of others. There have got to be other, far more important, issues upon which their god would want them to be expending their energies ... surely? Elsewhere, but marching with us were members of the Unitarian Church. I guess they are also "Christian"?
Anyway, I don't suppose anyone from the organising committee is reading this, but thanks! It was a good first Pride and I look forward to the next one.
(not my video, by the way. I just nicked it from YouTube)
![[-]](https://gayspeak.com/images/duende_v3_local/collapse.png)
Libra
I know a few lesbians!!! She was there with her LGBT group also Norwich based... and after I believe a few of them got up and danced? :biggrin:
