Leeds Pride#Rainbow Plaques

{{Infobox recurring event

|image = Freedom Bridge Leeds 25 August 2018.jpg

|imagesize =

|caption = Freedom Bridge over Lower Briggate during the 2018 event

|begins = 10.30 am

|ends = 10 pm

|date = Sunday 21 July 2024

|frequency = Annually

|location = Leeds, England

|first = 2006

|last =

|participants = Over 75,000 (2023)

|footnotes =

}}

Leeds Pride is an annual LGBT Pride celebration held in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England. Leeds Pride is one of the biggest free pride events in the UK.

History

Leeds Pride first took place in August 2006 (then called Leeds Gay Pride) although there had been previous Pride events in Leeds, such as Hyde Out in 2000 and in the few years before the first Leeds Pride, an informal picnic on Woodhouse Moor. Leeds Pride was supported by the city council and local business with 6,500 attending.{{cite news |last=Glypta |first=Anna |date=10 August 2006 |title=Share in our Pride |work=Yorkshire Evening Post }} In 2009 the numbers attending the event had almost doubled, to 12000, with over 1,000 participating in the parade.{{cite news |author= |title=VIDEO: Gay Pride parade in Leeds |url=https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/video-gay-pride-parade-in-leeds-1-2221662 |work=Yorkshire Evening Post |date=3 August 2009 |access-date=9 August 2018 }} In its tenth year (2016) the name had changed to Leeds Pride{{cite news |author= |title=Let's have a party! Leeds Pride celebrates its 10th birthday in style |url=https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/let-s-have-a-party-leeds-pride-celebrates-its-10th-birthday-in-style-1-8054643 |work=Yorkshire Evening Post |date=6 August 2016|access-date=14 August 2018}} and it had over 40,000 people in attendance, with the figure expected to grow in year on year.{{cite news |last=Evans |first=Alex |date=5 August 2018 |title=Leeds Pride 2018: Thousands gather in Leeds city centre for colourful event |url=https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/leeds-pride-2018-thousands-gather-in-leeds-city-centre-for-colourful-event-1-9285689 |work=Yorkshire Evening Post |access-date=8 August 2018 }}

The 2023 Leeds Pride took place on Sunday 6 August with 175 organisations taking part in the parade, and over 75,000 people in attendance, making it the biggest Leeds Pride ever.{{cite news |last=Gray |first=Charles |date=7 August 2023 |title=Leeds Pride 2023: Organiser hails 'biggest ever event' as over 75,000 mark celebration of LGBTQ+ in the city |url=https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/whats-on/things-to-do/leeds-pride-2023-organiser-hails-biggest-ever-event-as-over-75000-mark-celebration-of-lgbtq-in-the-city-4246592 |work=Yorkshire Evening Post |access-date=11 June 2024}}

A 2024 policy change caused controversy after the organisation changed their parade guidance to include comments about “specific individuals, beliefs, or political opinions are strictly forbidden". Breaking of this rule could lead to removal from the parade. The activist group Dirty Dykes made a public statement on their Instagram explaining that they wouldn't be attending the event in 2024 due to this policy change. The parade policy was subsequently changed, but Dirty Dykes pointed out this only occurred after parade applications had already closed.{{cite web | last=Hansford | first=Amelia | title=Leeds Pride reverses controversial new policy after backlash | website=PinkNews | date=19 June 2024 | url=https://www.thepinknews.com/2024/06/19/leeds-pride-2024-backtrack-policy/ | access-date=20 July 2024}}

Parade

The parade starts at Millennium Square at around 2.00 pm finishing on Lower Briggate by The Calls with a huge party. The economic impact to the city centre of Leeds is approximately £3.8 million.{{cite web|url=https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5494391de4b0a37ddc0bf8d0/t/5a8ae77a41920223d0c61a3f/1519052699411/LP+Impact+Survey+V2.pdf|title=Leeds Pride – Impact Survey 2017|access-date=7 July 2018|archive-date=8 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180708004253/https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5494391de4b0a37ddc0bf8d0/t/5a8ae77a41920223d0c61a3f/1519052699411/LP+Impact+Survey+V2.pdf|url-status=dead}}

Buildings on the parade route often have temporary decorations in the colours of the Rainbow flag. In 2017, the railway viaduct over Lower Briggate was painted in these colours and named 'Freedom Bridge" by Leeds City Council and Network Rail.{{cite news |last=Newton |first=Grace |date=19 February 2017 |title=Leeds Freedom Bridge project completed |url=https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/leeds-freedom-bridge-project-completed-1-8397946 |work=Yorkshire Evening Post |access-date=26 August 2018 }} Steps going up to the station are also painted in the same colours as is a telephone box (an aql wi-fi hub, close to their headquarters) on Bridge End.

File:166-169, Briggate.jpg|Temporary decoration for the 2018 parade

File:Rainbow steps Leeds 16 August 2018.jpg|Steps up towards the station

File:Rainbow kiosk Leeds 25 August 2018.jpg|Telephone kiosk on Bridge End

Rainbow plaques

In association with the 2018 event, Leeds Civic Trust announced that it would be expanding its blue plaque scheme to create a trail of Rainbow Plaques to commemorate those who have contributed to the LGBT+ story of Leeds.{{cite news |author= |title=Rainbow plaque trail set for Leeds |url=https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/rainbow-plaque-trail-set-for-leeds-1-9012636 |work=Yorkshire Evening Post |date=12 February 2018 |access-date=11 October 2018}} A map has been published showing the location of 15 plaques.{{cite web |url=http://leedscivictrust.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Web-version-Plaque-Trail.pdf |title=The Rainbow Plaque Trail |author= |website=leedscivictrust.org.uk |publisher=Leeds Civic Trust |access-date=12 October 2018}}

File:The Grove Rainbow Plaque.jpg|Plaque 1 on the Grove Inn, Back Row

File:Charlie's Nightclub Rainbow Plaque.jpg|Plaque 2 on Queen's Court, Briggate

File:Mill Hill Chapel Rainbow Plaque.jpg|Plaque 4 on Mill Hill Unitarian Chapel

File:Cyril Livingstone Rainbow Plaque.jpg|Plaque 5 on Hotel Chocolat, Albion Place

File:DV8 Rainbow Plaque.jpg|Plaque 6 on the wall of Yorkshire Dance, St Peter's Square

File:Angela Morley Rainbow Plaque.jpg|Plaque 7 on the BBC building, St Peter's Square

File:Robert Hawthorn Kitson Rainbow Plaque.jpg|Plaque 9 in the entrance to Leeds City Art Gallery

File:Swarthmore Centre Rainbow Plaque.jpg|Plaque 10 on the Swarthmore Centre, Woodhouse Square

File:Soft Cell Rainbow Plaque.jpg|Plaque 11 on Leeds Beckett University Student Union building

File:Nicola Adams Rainbow Plaque.jpg|Plaque 12 on First Direct Arena

File:Transvestism Conference Rainbow Plaque.jpg|alt=A circular commemorative plaque with a thick rainbow border. The logos of the Leeds Civic Trust and the Leeds LGBT+ Hub are visible near the top. "'Transvestism and Transsexualism in Modern Society'" is written below. Below that is the following text in smaller print: "The seminal conference 'Transvestism and Transsexualism in Modern Society' took place in Leeds University in 1974. Organized by The Beaumont Society, this was the first dedicated conference for trans people. Providing talks, screenings and discussions, it was attended by over 100 academics." The two lines below, in smaller print, read "#RainbowPlaques" and "Supported by @StudioTDH".|Plaque 13 on the Parkinson Building, University of Leeds

File:Section 28 Rainbow Plaque.jpg|Plaque 14 on Leeds Central Library

File:Polari Rainbow Plaque.jpg|Plaque 15 on Leeds City Varieties theatre