Spectacular show of pride by city's LGBT community

This article appears in today's Leicester Mercury:

Spectacular show of pride by city's LGBT community

The colourful spectacular that is Leicester Pride saw hundreds of people take to the streets in celebration.

The annual parade began at Orton Square before making its way around the city centre to Victoria Park, where revellers where entertained with a funfair and live entertainment.

The event, which took place last Saturday, also gave various organisations a chance to highlight their services.

For almost 40 years, Leicester Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Centre in Wellington Street, has offered support to and fostered a sense of community among gay people in the city and county.

Centre support officer Dennis Bradley said: "As people come out and discover they are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender, there is a new group of people that needs to be taught the centre exists.

"Our purpose in being at Pride was to raise awareness that we do have a centre and that people should come and see what they can get from it."

A dozen groups use the centre, including First Out, for younger people aged 13-19; Spectrum, with users aged 20-35; Grey Pride for people aged 50 and over and transgender groups Leicester Chameleon Group and Mixed Agendas.

"The LGBT community makes up about a third of the overall population," said Mr Bradley. "Pride is a good celebration of life of LGBT people here in Leicester, of our progressiveness towards equality and the diversity that exists within the community.

"Pride is a wonderful event that raises awareness to the wider community that we do exist and that we are a large number."

Pride also gave organisations an opportunity to highlight the importance of safe sex and offer advice on sexual health alongside representatives from the Leicestershire Aids Support Service and the HIV and Aids prevention charity Trade.

For more information on the centre, visit: www.llgbc.com