June is Pride month, an annual celebration of LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer or questioning) communities all around the world.
This year is special for Bracknell Forest, as the borough celebrates its first ever official Pride event
Bracknell Forest Pride 2023
We have teamed with The Lexicon and members of the local community to create an incredible day of entertainment and activities.
On Saturday 10 June, performers will take to the stage and artists will fill up Bond Square to put on a fun and free family event. With drag performers and local personality Brad Clapson hosting, it will be unlike any event ever staged in The Lexicon.
You can find out more about Bracknell Forest Pride on The Lexicon website.
We are doing more to celebrate Pride this year. This includes flying the progress flag for most of the month. We will also be lighting up Time Square and changing our social media logos to the pride progress flag colours.
We will also be hosting an internal Pride event in Time Square on Friday 9 June. This will be a chance for staff to celebrate Pride with their colleagues and get everyone ready for the big event on Saturday.
History of Pride
Pride month is also an opportunity to peacefully protest and raise awareness of current issues facing the community. It’s a time for people to come together in love and friendship to show how far gay rights have come. It's also a time for teaching tolerance, learning about Pride history and continuing to fight for equality.
Pride is celebrated during June because it was the month of the Stonewall riots in 1969. These were the protests that changed gay rights for many people worldwide. Shortly after the protests, the first Pride event in the UK took place in 1972 where around 2,000 people attended. Now, more than a million people celebrate the festival every year in London alone.
This shows just how far we have come in the fight for equality, but there is still more work to be done so that everyone can be accepted for who they are.
Bracknell Forest Council is proud to recognise and celebrate the LGBTQ+ community. We hope you can join us in raising awareness of this important month. By doing so, we will continue to improve the attitudes of society and encourage inclusiveness. We hope that Bracknell Forest Pride 2023 is just the start of affecting positive change in the borough.
