Birmingham Pride parade draws thousands amid uncertain future

National World - LocalTV

Birmingham Pride 2025 sees thousands march through the city centre, celebrating LGBTQ+ identity and resilience. With the Smithfield site set for redevelopment, organisers discuss plans to return the festival to its community roots in the Gay Village. Attendees share what Pride means to them, while co-founders Lawrence Barton and Phil Oldershaw reflect on the event's evolution and future.

Transcript

00:00Pride Parade kicked off from Centenary Square, weaving through Birmingham streets before ending in the Gay Village.

00:10It's a celebration, yes, but also a protest.

00:13This year political parties were banned from marching.

00:16A move organisers say shows solidarity with the trans community.

00:21But with the Smithfield site set for redevelopment, the future of the festival is uncertain.

00:27Organisers are considering a return to a more community focused event in the Gay Village.

00:32I asked attendees what Pride means to them.

00:36For me Pride is about feeling a sense of wholeness and togetherness.

00:42Everybody comes, everybody loves one another, it's just a happy, happy place to be.

00:48I think it means it's like equality, it's love, it's acceptance of everybody no matter who they are.

00:54It means just being yourself, completely unapologetically yourself.

00:58It's just about celebrating really and obviously embracing who people are in a community that is so judgmental nowadays.

01:05Lauren Spartan has been at the helm of Birmingham Pride since 2009, overseeing its growth into one of the UK's largest LGBTQ plus festivals.

01:15But with the loss of the Smithfield site, he faces the challenge of reimagining the event's future.

01:21I spoke to him about the road ahead.

01:24So we intend to create a Pride village in the Gay District of Birmingham.

01:31It will require us to go out into the community, consult with them fully, that they are part of the process.

01:39And it's a redefining moment for what Birmingham Pride is and how it presents itself in the future.

01:46Phil Aldershaw co-founded Birmingham Pride in 1997 when the event was a small grassroots protest.

01:54He's seen it evolve over the decades.

01:56I asked him how he feels about the festival's journey and its future direction.

02:01Do you know what? It has grown at an incredible pace.

02:0529 years ago we had the first Birmingham Pride that was in the Hearst Street and Kent Street area of the Gay Village.

02:13It's now grown. It's on the Smithfield site.

02:16We've got this huge parade in the city centre.

02:19It has grown phenomenally over the years and millions of people have enjoyed exactly what this is all about today.

02:27For many Pride is more than a party. It's a statement of identity and resilience.

02:34I return to the crowd to hear more about what this event means to those attending.

02:39For me personally I am gay myself so it's nice to be represented here.

02:44I'm straight but it's important for me to be here as an ally to stand up for what I believe in for the diversity that is on show today.

02:53It's for everyone. It's to give everyone that chance to be unapologetically who they want to be.

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