Sun Comes Out For Pride

Half a million people braved a dodgy weather forecast to attend London's biggest ever Gay Pride on Saturday, and were rewarded with a nice sunny day for it. Pride virgin Mayor Boris led the procession from Baker Street, looking happy to be taking a break from his present troubles at City Hall and, judging by the cheers he got from the people around us (four very drunk men in pink boob tubes), he seems to have been forgiven for his previous muddled thinking on gay marriage.

Making history on this year's march were service personnel from the Army and the RAF, taking part for the first time ever. From the galaxy of other gay and lesbian groups our favourites had to be the fabulous London Rollergirls, closely followed by the bekilted Scottish country dancers of the Gay Gordons and members of "atheist science-based religion" The Raelians - there were only six of them and they looked a bit lost.

Once the multitude made it to a sweaty Trafalgar Square, Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg wowed us all with his funky house Hed Kandi dance track "Freedom" - no wait, that must have been Amrick Channa. There wasn't exactly music for all tastes on offer here but the main stage is really just for cheering Sir Ian McKellen and having a sit down before going to Soho.

Gay Pride may seem like more of a big party than a political event these days, but that's a good thing. Gay men and women in Britain have been fighting for their rights for a long time so that we can all mill about happily in Old Compton Street. But not too far from home it was sobering to see that others have a long way to go before they can do the same.

by Dave McGeehan

Main image by Tanya N via the Londonist Flickrpool. Many thanks to our other contributors for these photographs.