THOUSANDS gathered in Glasgow yesterday to take part in the first major Pride march in Scotland focusing on bisexuality as its theme.
The event started at Glasgow Green and ended in George Square, with speeches from Green MSP and Scottish Government minister Patrick Harvie and North Lanarkshire councillor Jordan Linden.
Linden, the first gay council leader to speak at a Pride march in the city, told the crowd: “Each and every one of us, all of us, have the right to live a happy, safe life.
“To have the freedom to love who we want and live the way we want.
“The incredible activist Marsha Johnson said it best when she said ‘There’s no Pride for some of us without liberation for all of us’.
“So today, let’s raise our voices and ensure we are heard as we want together to build a brighter, safer future for everybody in our community.”
Glasgow’s Pride “Mardi Gla” celebrations will continue today, with a specially constructed beach in the city’s King Street car park, complete with fairground rides and rainbow candyfloss with entertainment from BBC Radio 1 DJ Dean McCullough.
A special Pride Hub will be hosted today at Strathclyde University, which includes a learning and employability zone to help people decide on career options during the cost of living crisis.
Speaking ahead of the Queen of Pride event, drag queen Barbra La Bush said: “This weekend will be the largest gathering of people who are LGBT+ and allies that our city has ever seen and I just can’t wait to declare that Pride is open.
“With the rising attacks against people who are LGBT+, it is more important than ever that people who support equality turn out and support the march and our communities.”
