What is Norwich Pride?
Norwich Pride is a celebration for everyone from the local Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans (LGBT) community. The second Norwich Pride will be on Saturday 31st July 2010 and includes a picnic in Chapelfield Gardens as well as stalls, speeches and entertainment at the Forum and a Parade through the City Centre. There are parties, comedy and live music at venues across the city as well as films, art exhibitions and family-friendly events. Norwich Pride is organised by a Collective of friendly, creative, enthusiastic volunteers who want to ensure Norwich is a city where everyone can feel safe and proud to be themselves.
This year's chair Michelle Savage says: "The first Norwich Pride was wonderful and the atmosphere was absolutely brilliant. We were so proud to live in a city where thousands of people came out onto the streets to show their support for the LGBT community. This year's Norwich Pride promises to be just as lovely and we'd invite everyone to take part in the celebrations."
What's happening on 31st July 2010?
We'll have stalls + lectures at
The Forum, a picnic at
Chapelfield Gardens and a parade through the city to
Millennium Plain for speeches and entertainment.
There will also be parties, events and exhibitions in venues across the city. Expect loads of fun at The Catherine Wheel, The Castle and The Coach and Horses (Union Street) pubs. Check out films at Cinema City, Comedy at Norwich Playhouse, and Cabaret and Bands at the Norwich Arts Centre.
Norwich Pride is a grass-roots, do-it-yourself celebration organised by a collective of friendly, creative and enthusiastic volunteers.
Bring your picnic, bring your banners, bring your friends and family! Together we can make the last Saturday in July the most colourful and inspirational day in the city's calendar.
Keep an eye on our Events page for regular updates.
How much will it cost to come along?
The central events that the Norwich Pride Collective are organising are free - this is a true community celebration. There are lots of workshops and events around the main celebrations and you will need to pay for some of these.
How can I help?
There are a number of ways to participate. If you would like to be involved on a personal level, please email us at info@norwichpride.org.uk- we love to hear ideas.
If you have a business, social group, or community group that you would like to involve in some way,then please get in touch to discuss ideas. You can gain publicity through the event and through inclusion in our leaflet.
Why does Norwich Pride use a Rainbow Flag?
The Rainbow flag is the international symbol of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Trans (LGBT) Pride. The original gay-pride flag was hand-dyed by Gilbert Baker and flew in the San Francisco Gay Freedom Day Parade on June 25, 1978. After the assassination of Harvey Milk on November 27, 1978 demand for the rainbow flag greatly increased.
2009 saw the first Norwich Pride. We wanted to fill the streets of Norwich with rainbow colours on 25th July to show the world that Norwich is a vibrant city where everyone can be themselves without fear of being bullied because of who they are or who they fall in love with. We turned Norwich into a Rainbow!
What does LGBT stand for?
LGBT stands for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans.
Why wasn't there a Norwich Pride until 2009?
Who knows?! It's amazing that a city the size of Norwich hadn't had a Pride before 2009. There had been some commercial attempts to set ones up and there were some smaller community events in the past - but 2009 was the first time that we had a Pride on such a scale right in the centre of the city. There were over 30 Prides happening across the UK in the Summer of 2009 and we were one of 3 cities celebrating Pride for the first time.
The Norwich Pride Collective are working hard to ensure that our Pride is sustainable - we want it to be an annual celebration that grows and grows.
And you can look forward to the second Norwich Pride, coming up on Saturday 31 July 2010!
What if I have a problem with Norwich Pride?
Tell us about it! We are a bunch of enthusiastic volunteers - human beings who can make mistakes. If you have a complaint, write to us at Norwich Pride, c/o TEN, 10 Cathedral St, Norwich NR1 ILX or email us at norwichpride@hotmail.co.uk. We will reply within 7 days and do our best to restore your confidence in Norwich Pride.
What's Judy Garland got to do with Pride?
This may be a myth but it's a good one. Judy Garland's funeral was on Friday 27th June 1969 and the gay men who flocked to it were impressed and empowered by the numbers of other gay men they saw there. Later, in the early hours of the morning, when the police did a routine raid on the Stonewall Inn, they fought back and the Gay Movement began. On June 28, 1970, the first Gay Pride marches took place in Los Angeles and New York commemorating the anniversary of the riots. Similar marches were organized in other cities. Today, Pride events are held annually throughout the world, usually towards the end of June to mark the Stonewall riots.
