Perthshire Pride has announced that the special headliner for its 2022 festival will be local LGBTQ+ icon Alan Cumming.
Announced on World Pride Day, the Aberfeldy-born Tony Award winning actor will be leading the march and delivering an opening speech at the equality and diversity celebration on August 13.
As a leading LGBT rights activist, Alan Cumming has promoted LGBTQ rights around the world, supporting organisations such as Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, the Human Rights Campaign, The American Foundation for AIDS Research and Broadway Cares/Actors’ Equity Association Fights AIDS.
The star of Golden Eye, X-Men, Spy Kids and more was also presented with the San Francisco Human Rights Campaign’s Humanitarian Award in 2005.
The 2022 Perthshire Pride event will mark the festival’s first return as a full-scale event since 2019, when the event was opened by Sir Ian McKellen and attended by over 8000 attendees.
The year’s festivities will include a march from the South Inch car park at 11am and community acts on the Ross William Robertson Scott mainstage held at the Mill Street main event area between noon and 6pm.
There will also be a pride market which will host stalls from key LGBTQ+ groups, a youth zone with activities for LGBTQ young people, an after party at The Bank Bar featuring a DJ set from another special guest and pride brunch at The Yard.
Dougie Scott, Perthshire Pride chairperson, said: “We are delighted to be returning as a full-scale event for 2022 and are incredibly excited that local hero and LGBTQ+ activist Alan Cumming will be joining the Perthshire LGBTQ+ community on the day!
“Perthshire Pride is only as big as the hearts of our LGBTQ community and only as strong as the support from our allies.
“On August 13 we would like to invite everyone to join us to be visible, to be proud, and to most importantly to be their true selves in the safe and supportive environment that is Perthshire Pride.”
The Perthshire Pride team are also calling on local businesses to decorate their shops to bring some pride to the high street.
Participating businesses will be offered a chance to be featured on the Perth Pride map and will be provided with Perthshire Pride charity collection pots.
The charity also looking for marshals and volunteers to help to deliver a variety of different jobs at Perthshire Pride’s annual event.
Perthshire Pride is made possible through sponsorship and funders this year they include SSE, Molke, The Bank Foot Inn, The Yard, the Perth and Kinross Council Community Investment Fund and The Bank Bar.
Any interested businesses or volunteers should contact Perthshire Pride at info@perthshirepride.com
