Sheffield Pride was held in Endcliffe Park this Saturday. It's the first Pride event I've been to this year (I'm also going to Doncaster's to protest the new mayor), and the first time I've been the to one in Sheffield. My previous experience of Pride has been in Manchester, where the approach to the festival is strikingly different.
The Pride this year was still fairly small, as it is only its second year. Organizers say nearly 6000 attended throughout the day, compared with about 4,000 last year. This relatively small number of people in a fairly large park gave it an open and spread out feel. Even close to the main stage there was nothing really approaching a crowd, just a jumble of people sat in small groups on blankets or chairs. Everybody had their own bit of space, and could lie down or move about without being in anybody's way. The edge of the park was lined with stalls, mostly public sector organizations doing their community engagement bit, though there was also a few people selling the odd thing. There was also a bber tent towards the back of the area, and seemed to get good trade, though many people brought their own drinks with them. I didn't see any drunkenness at all, unless some people's attempts at dancing count...
The most important aspect of the event was the diversity of people there. I know it's Pride and there's supposed to be "diversity" just from the LGBT people alone. But there was more than just a diversity of sexuality and gender, there was a real mix of different people. A large minority of the crowd were (probably) non-LGBT, and whether they came out for the music and sunshine or because they support the community doesn't matter. Because it was free and held in the local park, it was open and accessible to them, and they were welcome. Likewise, many people brought their children, and some even brought their parents. The youngest person I saw was just a few months old, and the oldest easily over 80. You didn't have to be "into" the LGBT scene to want to be there, it was just a nice day out.
Manchester Pride is so very different though. Thousands of people are cooped up in just a couple of streets around Canal Street, with Sackville Park a tiny in comparison the Encliffe Park, and the main stage held on waste ground. Entry into the Pride area is by ticket only, costing about £15 (cheaper early, dearer late). Entry into various bars and clubs can sometimes be charged on top of that, and bringing your own alcohol in is not allowed, but must be pruchased on site. The total cost of going to Pride in Manchester is high, and probably only makes sense for those who are committed to going out that whole time. This makes the attendence less diverse, with fewer young, old, poor, or simply non-LGBT people.
The organizers of Manchester Pride claim that the money they collect for tickets is given to charity, and so even if the cost is high, it is at least for a worthy cause. But charities and groups have also been squeezed in the past, having to pay to have a stall on site, or to take part in the parade. More room is given to stalls selling good who can afford the charges, thus removing the community and replacing it with commerce. There were protests last year about the commercialization and direction of Pride, and some have also held their own alternative Prides (such as Twee Pride) in previous years.
If an event held to celebrate a particular group is not only being protested but even boycotted by members of that group, then something has gone wrong. I don't want to analyze every part of Manchester Pride's problems, just to show that their way is not the answer. Sheffield should be glad to have something different for its Pride, and should build on that as it continues to grow. It needs to keep Pride free and open, so that all LGBT people, and all non-LGBT people too, are welcome.
The Pride this year was still fairly small, as it is only its second year. Organizers say nearly 6000 attended throughout the day, compared with about 4,000 last year. This relatively small number of people in a fairly large park gave it an open and spread out feel. Even close to the main stage there was nothing really approaching a crowd, just a jumble of people sat in small groups on blankets or chairs. Everybody had their own bit of space, and could lie down or move about without being in anybody's way. The edge of the park was lined with stalls, mostly public sector organizations doing their community engagement bit, though there was also a few people selling the odd thing. There was also a bber tent towards the back of the area, and seemed to get good trade, though many people brought their own drinks with them. I didn't see any drunkenness at all, unless some people's attempts at dancing count...
The most important aspect of the event was the diversity of people there. I know it's Pride and there's supposed to be "diversity" just from the LGBT people alone. But there was more than just a diversity of sexuality and gender, there was a real mix of different people. A large minority of the crowd were (probably) non-LGBT, and whether they came out for the music and sunshine or because they support the community doesn't matter. Because it was free and held in the local park, it was open and accessible to them, and they were welcome. Likewise, many people brought their children, and some even brought their parents. The youngest person I saw was just a few months old, and the oldest easily over 80. You didn't have to be "into" the LGBT scene to want to be there, it was just a nice day out.
Manchester Pride is so very different though. Thousands of people are cooped up in just a couple of streets around Canal Street, with Sackville Park a tiny in comparison the Encliffe Park, and the main stage held on waste ground. Entry into the Pride area is by ticket only, costing about £15 (cheaper early, dearer late). Entry into various bars and clubs can sometimes be charged on top of that, and bringing your own alcohol in is not allowed, but must be pruchased on site. The total cost of going to Pride in Manchester is high, and probably only makes sense for those who are committed to going out that whole time. This makes the attendence less diverse, with fewer young, old, poor, or simply non-LGBT people.
The organizers of Manchester Pride claim that the money they collect for tickets is given to charity, and so even if the cost is high, it is at least for a worthy cause. But charities and groups have also been squeezed in the past, having to pay to have a stall on site, or to take part in the parade. More room is given to stalls selling good who can afford the charges, thus removing the community and replacing it with commerce. There were protests last year about the commercialization and direction of Pride, and some have also held their own alternative Prides (such as Twee Pride) in previous years.
If an event held to celebrate a particular group is not only being protested but even boycotted by members of that group, then something has gone wrong. I don't want to analyze every part of Manchester Pride's problems, just to show that their way is not the answer. Sheffield should be glad to have something different for its Pride, and should build on that as it continues to grow. It needs to keep Pride free and open, so that all LGBT people, and all non-LGBT people too, are welcome.
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