May and June will see Oxford play host to various celebrations as part of Oxford’s LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Queer) Pride festival. In the wake of recent highly publicised gay bullying in the USA, and the high suicide rate among LGBTQ teenagers, this year’s theme is ‘Let’s get brave together.’
The highlight of Oxford Pride will be the ninth annual parade through the city centre on 11th June, culminating in a community fair in Oxpens Field, where fairground rides, community stalls and free entertainment. Last year, this event drew an estimated 5,000 people.
Tegan McLeod, a second-year student of English Literature at St Peter’s College, said she strongly supports the initiative. She commented, “Oxford Pride week is not only a marvellous celebration of diversity but is an essential movement of visibility.
“Being loud and proud throughout Pride sends a message that persecution on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity will not be tolerated.”
The week-long festival is organised by the Oxford Pride Group, a non-profit organisation that works with local individuals and establishments to organise events that celebrate LGBTQ culture and promote awareness of LGBTQ issues.
Cheryl Briggs, Chair of the group, spoke specifically about the ‘Let’s Get Brave Together’ theme, which “attempts to provide positive role models within the LGBTQ community. These can be famous people like our patrons, Sir Ian McKellen and Paul Gambaccini,… Or they can be the multitude of ordinary LGBTQ people who live happy, successful and fulfilled lives in Oxford.”
Mr. Gambaccini, an established radio and television presenter, has also been a Visiting Professor at Oxford. A proud patron of the Oxford Pride group, he said, “You cannot imagine the happiness I feel knowing that Oxford Pride has become a reality.
“When I was a student in the early 1970s, such an initiative was unthinkable. We were the last generation of gay and lesbian students who were not considered to exist… I am not pretending for a second that everything is sunshine and roses for LGBT students today, but please know that Oxford Pride proves that things are much better than they have ever been and that, with your support and courage, they will be even better for those who follow you.”
