Thousands Attend Pride Event
Thousands of people took part in the city's Pride event held Saturday 7th June, with big-name entertainers and more than twice the number of exhibitors as last year making it the biggest of its kind in the region.
Organised by Plymouth Pride Event, a committee of volunteers from Plymouth's lesbian, gay, bisexual, and trans (LGBT) communities, and members of support organisations, it attracted thousands of people on Saturday.
Guests included Plymouth MP Linda Gilroy and new Lord Mayor Brian Vincent and Lady Mayoress Pauline Murphy, who arrived at the start at 11am and spent four hours enjoying the stalls and entertainments.
The day included an LGBT communities history exhibition, including Holocaust Memorial Day and a play based on the memories of older lesbians and gay men, information about famous lesbian, gay, bisexual, or trans people in history, a public question forum with police, health, and city council representatives.
There was also international speaker describing life as a gay Muslim in Iraq, women's and men's sexual health workshops and legal workshops, including civil partnerships and inheritance law.
Fun activities for LGBT communities' families and friends included a join-in belly dancing session, a rodeo bull, sumo suits, a bungee run, line-dancing with Rocky, street and circus skills entertainers and live singers and bands. Stalls included Westward Bound, underwear companies, the charity FFLAG - Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays - and Swanky or Spanky Ltd, a Devon-based company promoting safe sex and safer lifestyles products. Visitors could also find out about tattoo removals, civil marriages and meet the police Social Inclusion Unit.
Plymouth Teaching Primary Care Trust, one of the main sponsors of this year's event, ran an interactive 'health village' offering free health checks, healthy food and lifestyles advice, advice about how to stop smoking, drugs and alcohol awareness, mental health and well being, sexual health and cancer awareness.
The event was followed by a Pride Party in The Swallow public house, which then continued into the night in Zeros nightclub.