Taking place in September, this year’s Pride celebrations are themed around the 50th anniversary of the first ever Pride march in the UK in 1972 which protested against the discrimination faced by LGBTQ+ people.
The baton will then pass to Jersey for a festival on Saturday 10 September.
Jersey’s 1970s-themed parade will start at the Royal Square, ending at the Pride village set up in People’s Park, where there’ll be food, drink and music, as well as family and community zones.
Throughout the day, which is sponsored by Mourant and Jersey Electricity, attendees will be treated to a line-up of local talent on the main stage.
Performances will topped off with displays from ITV’s ‘Walk the Line’ Queenz and Woody Cook, son of ‘Fatboy Slim’ Norman Cook and broadcaster Zoe Ball.
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Woody broke onto the screen in 2019, firstly as a finalist in Channel 4 reality show ‘The Circle’ before appearing on Celebrity Gogglebox alongside his mum.
He has gone on to give talks on LGBTQ+ issues in UK universities and, more recently, following in the footsteps of his parents, has become a DJ.
The Queenz, meanwhile, are known for their remixed versions of fierce female anthems from the likes of the Spice Girls, Beyoncé, Whitney Houston, Gloria Estefan and Shakira among other icons.
Video: The Queenz performing on ITV.
Speaking about the significance of this year’s event, CI Pride Director Christian May said: “We are marking the 50th anniversary of Pride in the UK by acknowledging the work of the people who bravely came out onto the street to campaign for change through a ’70s-themed Pride this year.
“The gay rights movement came from the movements of the 1960s that demanded women’s rights and civil rights.”
In 1972 500 people took to the streets of London to protest for gay rights. 50 years on, thousands now come together all over Britain every year to celebrate the diversity and inclusion of the LGBTQ+ community. It’s amazing to see how far we’ve come but there’s more to be done!????️???? pic.twitter.com/io4aTvwQvk
— Channel Islands Pride (@CI_Pride) July 1, 2022
He added: “The rights of all minority groups have improved since the early days, but there is still work to be done towards full equality. In the celebratory atmosphere of Pride it can be overlooked that Pride is still a protest – a reminder that things are not equal for everyone.”
