PRIDE SPECIAL
RAINBOW FLAGS HELD HIGH AS LGBT FESTIVAL ATTRACTS BIG CROWDS TO CITY
THE annual Manchester Pride parade brought a colourful festival spirit to the city centre under sunny skies.
Rainbow flags were flying as thousands lined the streets to watch the parade of 140 floats that this year had a theme of Class of 2017.
It made for a host of fabulous fancy dress outfits from the 3,000 revellers who took part, from all manner of Manchester organisations and businesses including bars and restaurants, charities, banks, political parties, Coronation Street, the BBC, Greater Manchester Police and the Fire and Rescue Service.
Indeed, the police got among the biggest cheers on the parade when they started a huge dance-off of YMCA along Deansgate as the parade got under way.
Participants embraced the Class of 2017 theme at the event that celebrates Manchester’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community, with cheerleader and schoolgirl outfits proving popular with both male and female participants who danced their way through the city centre streets.
And rainbow colours were everywhere – from the thousands of balloons being carried through to the huge hooped skirts and unusual coned bikini tops and floral lei necklaces.
But the theme also had a serious side – aiming to highlight the need for education to end discrimination and abuse against people in the LGBT community.
There was also an added poignancy to the event this year in the wake of the devastating Manchester Arena bombing in May in which 22 people died.
The Manchester Pride festival continues tonight with the Liberty X girls headlining, as well as a special guest appearance from Take That who will be introducing the stars of their new musical The Band to the stage.
It will draw to a close later with the poignant candlelit vigil remembering all of those lost to the HIV virus.
Manchester Pride raises money for charities across the year and last year raised a record £149,000.