Community / Pride parade a celebration of ‘love, community and joy’
SHETLAND Pride has returned for its fourth year in a festival of fun, bright colours and a celebration of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Pride chairman Gary Mouat had made a plea in the build-up to this year’s event for people to embrace the festival and to join in the fun this weekend.
And Shetland did that and more on Saturday morning, with the Pride parade being welcomed by hundreds of well-wishers and onlookers.
People lined the streets of Lerwick to cheer as the Bigton samba band led the parade, featuring the usual colourful array of drag acts, rainbow flags and smiling faces.
The rain even held off until the parade had reached the Pride village at Gilbertson Park, where stalls, food and music signalled the start of a full day of activities.
A youth party is set to be held in the Lerwick Legion as well as an over-18s party at the Sound Hall, both starting at 8pm.
Shetland Pride wrote on Facebook that today’s (Saturday) event was a celebration of “love, community and joy” but also a protest event.
Marchers carried banners advocating for trans rights, with one proclaiming: “There is so much transgender joy to be had and it cannot be taken from me”.
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