Kingston upon Hull first UK pride event

Originally written October 2016 Hull Pride is rapidly approaching

"Pride LGBT events feature annually in many UK cities and further afield. But in 2017 the first ever "UK Pride" event will be held and Kingston-upon-Hull which is having its year in the spotlight as the country's City of Culture 2017.

On July 22 Queen's Gardens in the centre of Hull will play host. The venue is not pun intended but a popular city centre area for outdoor events.

A Pride march will be followed by a series of fun-filled events in the "gardens."

There will be a week of events timed to coincide with an important 50-year-anniversary; the decriminalisation of homosexuality in the UK.

But though there was a legal change in 1967 attitudes took a long time to catch up.

There are still hate crimes relating to the Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual and Transgender communities.

Hull should be and hopefully will be proud to welcome the first UK Pride event.

The city staged Hull Pride Summer 2016.

​With a range of events on for City of Culture 2017 it is just another one that highlights the diversity of this sometimes troubled but always welcoming northern city.

UK Black Pride

[October 2016 there were reports that pranksters had filled the familiar Queen's Garden's rose garden fountain with washing-up-liquid. The response was mixed with senior councillor Terry Geraghty saying "It's vandalism. We are getting ready now for Christmas and that will be where all the lights are put up again, and this spoils it. It's a lovely part of the city and I don't know what they get out of it. "The rain will wash it away. It's not going to cause any damage. People ought to be more vigilant and report things like this when they happen."]

2018 latest - Pride In Hull, Yorkshire