From Protest to Celebration: The Story of the First UK Pride March

On 1st July 1972, just a few hundred people gathered in London for what would become a turning point in UK LGBTQ+ history—the very first Pride march.

Organised by the Gay Liberation Front, the march was held on the nearest weekend to the anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in New York. Participants walked from Trafalgar Square to Hyde Park, facing stares, heckles, and even police surveillance. But they also carried something far stronger: hope, pride, and unity.

“It was part protest, part celebration,” one marcher later recalled.
“We were claiming space that had never been ours before.”

The 1970s: Marching Against the Odds

The 1970s were not an easy time to be openly LGBTQ+ in the UK. Homosexuality had only been partially decriminalised in England and Wales in 1967, and societal attitudes were still hostile. Marching through the streets wasn’t just brave—it was radical.

Those early Pride marches were small and grassroots, but they sent a loud, clear message:
We are here, and we will not be silenced.

The 1980s & 90s: Resistance and Visibility

Pride in the UK grew through the 1980s and 90s against a backdrop of Section 28, the AIDS crisis, and rising political resistance. These decades were marked by grief, anger, resilience, and even more determination.

Yet Pride kept marching forward, becoming both a protest and a celebration—a place for LGBTQ+ people to find one another, share stories, and fight for their rights.

The 2000s to Today: Growth, Joy, and Community

From the 2004 Civil Partnership Act to the legalisation of same-sex marriage in 2013, Pride became a platform for celebration as much as protest. Cities like London, Manchester, Birmingham, and Brighton began hosting tens of thousands of people every year.

And more recently? Small towns, villages, and rural communities have stepped forward to host Pride events—bringing visibility to places where LGBTQ+ people have long felt unseen.

2025: A Year of Over 200 Prides—and Counting 🌈

That first Pride in 1972 paved the way for what we see today: a vibrant, unstoppable movement.
In 2025, there are over 200 Pride events planned across the UK. That’s 200 communities making space for love, visibility, celebration, and solidarity.

And that’s exactly why Pride 2025 was born.